THE North-East's first cricket Test match will go ahead despite growing pressure on England to boycott their opponents Zimbabwe, it was revealed last night.

Zimbabwe are due to play England at the Riverside, in Chester-le-Street, in June, in an historic Test which is expected to pump £4m into the local economy.

But it is suspected that if England bow to international pressure and pull out of the forthcoming World Cup, due to start in Zimbabwe on February 13, President Robert Mugabe would cancel his national side's summer tour of England.

Last night, Durham County Cricket Club revealed that a replacement for Zimbabwe has been lined up for the match with England at the club's Chester-le-Street ground, starting on June 5, should Zimbabwe not tour.

Yesterday, Durham Cricket Club chairman Bill Midgley would not name the replacement side but said: "There will be a Test match at the Riverside."

The row over England's involvement in the World Cup intensified last night when Tony Blair wrote to Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith insisting: ''The Government's position is clear: the decision on whether England should play in Zimbabwe rests with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) - an independent sporting body.

''There are no legal powers available to the Government to ban a sporting team from participation.

''However, in the light of the deteriorating political and humanitarian situation in the country, ministers have made clear that if the decision were for them, England should not play in Zimbabwe.''

Mr Blair said the ECB should bear in mind ''the likelihood that conditions in Zimbabwe will deteriorate further in the next six weeks''.

Foreign Office officials had been in contact with cricketing officials since October and ''ministers would be happy to discuss this further with the ECB'', the Prime Minister said.

''The ECB can be in no doubt about the Government's views,'' he added.

However, Tim Lamb, chief executive of the ECB, said: "Nobody at the Government has contacted us directly to say they don't want us to go to Zimbabwe. I find that extraordinary and I am also disappointed about that, particularly about a matter of such importance."

England captain Nasser Hussain pleaded for his players to be spared from deciding whether to take part in the games, which were sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

He said: "It must be right that the decision is made at a higher level than sport, by a government body."

Durham players Paul Collingwood and Steve Harmison may be selected for the squad, along with Yorkshire trio Craig White, Michael Vaughan and Matthew Hoggard.

Mr Midgley said Durham had not issued advice to the Durham duo, and did not intend to. He said his personal view was that no national team should play in Zimbabwe but the ICC had to take the decision.

He said: "This goes beyond English cricket. This is about world cricket facing up to its responsibilities."

Mr Midgley said he was concerned that England's cricketers would find themselves used for political purposes if they went.

David Graveney, chairman of the England selectors and a former Durham captain, said: "I know that many people . . . have been suffering horribly.

"With all that in mind, I just couldn't go there," said Mr Graveney, who managed the rebel tour to apartheid South Africa in 1989.

England are scheduled to play six games in Zimbabwe, which is co-hosting the cricket World Cup along with South Africa.

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said: "I don't see it so much as a moral dilemma. A decision has been taken by the ICC board that the only factor to take into account is safety.

"We've done that, we've assessed the situation in Zimbabwe with regards safety and we've resolved to move forward."

Britain has led pressure on Zimbabwe, where thousands face starvation after white farmers were violently forced off their farms.