Test Cricket comes to Byo

Bongani Ndlovu, Sports Correspondent
TEST Cricket returns to Bulawayo with West Indies scheduled to play two matches against the Zimbabwean men’s Cricket team at Queens Sports Club later this month.

This will be Zimbabwe’s first Test match since their tour of Sri Lanka in July which they lost by a whisker.

In a statement Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) spokesperson Darlington Majonga said: “The first Test is pencilled for October 21 to 25, while the second one is set for October 29 November 2.”

He said West Indies will arrive on October 11.

“West Indies will play warm up matches facing Zimbabwe A in a three-day practice match beginning on October 15 at Bulawayo Athletic Club,” said Majonga.

West Indies were last in Zimbabwe when they were part of a tri-series last year.

Queens Sports Club last had a test match when New Zealand toured the country last year.

The Chevrons are expected to welcome back former captain and top order batsman Brendan Taylor and seamer Kyle Jarvis into the national team fold for the two Tests.

The last time Taylor played for Zimbabwe was in the 2015 World Cup, where he scored a century while Jarvis left Zimbabwe in 2013 to play in England on Kolpak deals.

But they were convinced to opt out of their English deals early and return home following a complete overhaul of ZC’s structures.

Tatenda Taibu, the convener of selectors, initiated discussions with Taylor and Jarvis before they received assurances about the new governance and financial model from ZC managing director Faisal Hasnain.