THE Davis Cup is coming to Ilkley this summer.

But before you start choking on your tea or spluttering into your cornflakes at the prospect of the Murray brothers and Yorkshire's Kyle Edmund playing at Stourton Road , let me explain that I am referring to the trophy, not the event.

One of sport's most iconic trophies, which is 4ft tall and weighs 105kg, will be at Ilkley Lawn Tennis & Squash Club on Thursday, June 16 during the AEGON Ilkley Trophy.

The so-called 'wedding cake', which is a sterling silver punchbowl on top of three tiers, is on a nationwide tour to celebrate Great Britain winning the Davis Cup last November for the first time since 1936.

It will be stopping off at over 50 venues from April to October 2, and they include the John Charles Centre for Sport in south Leeds (Tuesday, April 19) and the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield (Tuesday, April 26).

And, as well as being an attraction in itself at Ilkley and elsewhere, the Davis Cup trophy will undoubtedly launch an endless stream of opportunities for selfies.

The trophy, which is 107cm at its widest, was designed by William B Durgin's of Concord, New Hampshire, and was crafted by Englishman Rowland Rhodes.

The Davis Cup was the brainchild of Dwight Davis, one of Harvard University's four tennis team members, who wanted an annual competition between the United States and Great Britain, but it has grown to encompass 138 nations in 2016.

Great Britain started their defence of the world's biggest annual international team trophy in sport last weekend with a 3-1 World Group first-round victory over Japan in Birmingham, and Leon Smith's team will next face Serbia away on July 15-17.