Two English County cricket clubs are set to tour Zimbabwe next month as part of the Zimbabwe government’s efforts to market Destination Zimbabwe through sport.

Derbyshire and Durham are coming at the invitation of Cricket Zimbabwe and the visit ends a two decade break.

Both teams will tour Victoria Falls. Derbyshire arrive in Harare on March 9 and will visit Victoria Falls the following day, travel to Kwekwe, and Antelope Park in Gweru before they head to Bulawayo where their matches against Zimbabwe Select take place. Durham land in Harare on March 16 and will tour Victoria Falls six days later. Their two three-day fixtures against a Chairman’s XI take place in Harare.

Zimbabwe Tourism Authority Head of Corporate Affairs, Godfrey Koti, commented: “We are a huge supporter of collaboration between sport and tourism. This is huge business that we would also like to develop as a national tourism organisation.”