NOW the footy season is officially over, we can start talking about the cricket season.

It is an Ashes tour season and the odds aren't great that two players, batsman Ben Stokes and bowler Ben Stokes, will be in the English team.

There are few all rounders who should definitely make any team with either bat or ball and Stokes is one of them which is why I mentioned his name twice.

But we can let the English authorities with a bit of help from the media sort out the England cricket problems after allegations of a street incident.

The Australians haven't been travelling too well of late either but they always seem to rise for the Ashes, particularly with so many class bowlers in the Australian system.

It is good to see Warwick paceman Mark Steketee playing for the Cricket Australia XI in the one-day competition and taking three wickets with his pace bowling in his first game against Queensland.

On the local scene, there will be eight teams again for this weekend's start of fixtures.

Warwick junior cricket is also eyeing off a start this weekend, look at the Daily News during the week for more information on junior times.

There will be no cricket at Queens Park until some time in November and going on the look of the field after upgrading, it will definitely be worth it. You can't but notice the greenness of the field when you drive down Palmerin St.

Well done to football groundsman Cameron Davey who has arranged most of the aerating, top dressing and fertilising of the field.

Queens Park is used by football in winter and cricket in summer and it is good to see fields being used by two sports.

They do it at the MCG and most of the big footy fields but obviously there is a lot more money around in big time sport where they just replace sections of fields with new turf all ready to play between seasons and even between games.