A SHADOW of political protest hangs over next month's historic first cricket Test match at Chester-le-Street.

Durham's Riverside ground in Chester-le-Street will stage the second Test of Zimbabwe's cricket tour of England.

But members of the Stop the Tour campaign group plan to stage demonstrations, or disruptive action, during Zimbabwe's matches over the coming weeks.

The Zimbabwe team, which arrived in the country last week, will play in Chester-le-Street, from Thursday, June 5, to Monday, June 9.

But protesters are planning some form of rally at the Riverside, with a 'vigil for Zimbabwean democracy and human rights' proposed outside the ground at 9.30am on Saturday, June 7, the third day of the test.

Players and spectators are asked to wear black armbands to reflect their disapproval of the regime of Zimbabwe's ruler Robert Mugabe. Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, a leading figure in the Stop the Tour movement, said he would be happy to discuss any form of protest with the cricket authorities.

Durham County Cricket club chairman Bill Midgley said he would not be opposed to some form of sensible protest, but urged demonstrators not to disrupt the match.

He said: "By the time the team reaches us in June they will have played a number of county games and the first Test at Lord's so we might have some idea what to expect.

"We're aware of the issues involved and we will take appropriate measures that we feel necessary so enjoy people can enjoy the cricket.

"Anything else is a matter for the police."

He said any disruptive demonstrations may prove counter-productive in the minds of sympathetic cricket fans. He said: "We've said all along we'll be happy to sit down and talk to the people concerned and to the police to provide some sort of facility for them to make their point, I'm not taking issue with that.

"But it should be done in a reasonable and sensible manner and then it would be received with more sympathy.

"I'm sure it would be met with anger if, for selfish reasons, a small number of people took any action to disrupt the match."

England refused to play in the Zimbabwean capital Harare in the winter World Cup, when two of the country's players, Henry Olonga and former captain Andy Flower wore black armbands in protest at the Mugabe Government.

It effectively spelled the end of their international careers, and Olonga was forced to go into hiding in neighbouring South Africa in the weeks after his symbolic gesture.

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