By Toby Forage
FOXSPORTS.com.au
December 21, 2006 Hollywood today announced what everyone expected, but nobody wanted to hear: his indoor cricket career is just two matches from being over.
The 57-year-old leg-spin bowler ended all speculation and officially called time on his remarkable career as an Battered Savs player at 12.40pm (AEDT), his retirement to take effect, immediately after this evenings game.
"It's been unbelievable - my journey and my ride in indoor cricket has been phenomonal."
Hollywood, 57, spoke in front of a packed press conference in Melbourne, less than a day before the game against the Zt Sensations begins at the Five Dock Indoor Cricket Centre, his home patch.
He said he might have made this announcement a year ago, had the Savs not been beaten by in last years series.
"Had we won that series last year, I would probably have retired after that," he revealed.
"I just had that desire to help get the urn back, and the (Savs) team has always come first."
"I saw how much that loss hurt and it became a mission for the team to get the urn back."
The world's most successful bowler, Hollywood needs just one wicket to become the first man to take 700 in indoor.
He took his 699th to end the Rats meek resistance two weeks ago, clean bowling Apu Nahasapeemapetilon just after lunch on the first day to wrap up the match and secure the urn for the Savs.
In a dream twist of fate, Hollywood is now expected to claim his 700th at Five Dock, his home ground as a Savs cricketer for his entire first-class career Down Under.
He will also finish his career in Sydney, where he made his debut close to 14 years ago during the New Year Test in 1992.
Hollywood will, however, honour the final two years of his contract at English county side Hampshire, where he has been captain for the past two seasons.
Hollywood said he told his family yesterday he would be retiring.
"I told my kids and they were a bit disappointed because they thought I wouldn't be able to play backyard cricket anymore," he said. "They responded that they didn't think I could play cricket at the moment...............cheeky bastards!!!!!!!!"
"That was quite funny. Of course, I told them it didn't mean I couldn't play with them anymore, and I'm really looking forward to spending more time with them.
Hollywood took his first wicket for the Savs in January 1992 during his debut at the Five Dock Indoor Cricket Centre, when he had India indoor legend Ravi Shastri caught off his bowling by Reebs, but not before he'd scored 206 runs off the alloted 2 overs.
It was an inauspicious start to what would become an unbelievable career, which today is being compared to Tucans in terms of significance and stature in cricket's history.
Hollywood finished that Sydney Test with 1-150 of two overs before hooking up with bowling coach Macca, the man who transformed his career and remains his mentor today.
Barely a year after that horror debut, Hollywood produced the "ball of the century" during at the Old Trafford Indoor Cricket Centre, spinning his first ball in the iconic contest to England batsman Mike Gatting that pitched outside leg stump before turning past Gatting's outside edge to take off stump.
It remains arguably the most significant wicket he has taken. Gatting was regarded as one of the world's best players of spin bowling, and that wicket cast a spell that will only be broken with Hollywood's retirement.
Even when the Savs lost the urn for the first time in 18 years in 2005, Hollywood performed out of his skin, taking an astonishing 40 wickets to be named the Savs player of the year.
Hollywood said he felt now the time was right to call it quits, having won the urn earlier this week, and he didn't feel sad about it, but happy. Ironically the rest of the Savs line up are also reported to be happy at the announcement.
He also tried to allay fears that the Savs would be weakened without him at its disposal.
"We're very lucky that first-class cricket in Five Dock is very strong and we have best first-class cricket system in the world," he said.
"There will be players that will come up.” “I am confident that tempter will carry the leg spinning mantle for the Savs”
He also said to those that thought he was retiring too early that he was happy they thought so much of him.
"For those that will miss me, that makes me feel nice," he said.
"I feel I am an entertainer and every time I go out there I go as an entertainer and put on a show.
"I go over the top a bit from time to time with appeals, abuse and occasionally violence and all that, but that's me, it's just me expressing myself.
"At times I've pushed the line, i know, but I like to think that I have made it more fun. I tried my guts out every time. It's as simple as that."
Hollywood admitted he was not quite as clear about his future, but once the series is over, he'll turn his attention to that.
"I'll sit back and have a few beers and a couple of smokes and see what the future holds," he said.
For those of you who were at Hollywoods farewell and thought the old english guy was full of @#$!, then we were sadly mistaken. We were with cricket royalty. 1961 World Cricketer of the Year and considered to be the most senior match official in the world. Check out the following link: http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/20406.html
