Chester-le-Street will be the most northerly Test venue

Included in their itinerary is the their clash with England in the second NPower Test match at the Riverside in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, from 5 to 9 June.

Durham's number one ground has been accorded Test status after successfully staging a number of one-day international matches.

Zimbabwe Cricket Union Chairman Peter Chingok said they had agreed to fulfil tour commitments from May to July, regardless of England's boycott of their World Cup fixture in Harare in February.

A spokesman for Durham County Cricket Club said ticket sales for the Riverside game were going well, with the first two days expected to be sold out by the end of April.

New stadium

Club chairman Bill Midgley said: "Despite all the uncertainty surrounding this game, ticket sales have been steady and exceeded the targets we set ourselves.

"Zimbabwe's confirmation of fulfilling the fixture means we can progress with our marketing activity, and hopefully look forward to our first Test match being a sell out."

Tickets are priced at �25 for adults for the first four days, and �10 for U16s for the first three days and �5 for the Sunday.

The venue is England's most northerly Test venue, and is a new facility, with Durham only playing first class cricket there for the last nine years.

It becomes the first new Test venue in England for 101 years. Edgbaston, one of the other six, was up to now regarded as the 'newest' Test ground - though Sheffield's Bramall Lane hosted a single Test in 1902.