AN Australian gold digger has been unable to solve a 100-year-old Ilkley mystery which he himself first brought to light.

Why was an Ilkley cricket medal found lying in a pile of Australian rubbish in a dusty deserted town?

Pride of place at Ilkley Cricket Club is a gold medal which dates back to 1897. It arrived from the other side of the world - Western Australia to be exact.

The Denton Road-based club was delighted when the medal arrived in September 1994 but thought that was the last they would hear of the mystery.

Exactly five years later, the Aussie who discovered the medal (which is inscribed with the words Ilkley CC1897 G Smith capt), paid Ilkley a visit.

Nathan Setzinger arrived in Ilkley last week, just hoping for a glimpse of the medal he had returned to its rightful home.

His first port of call was the Ilkley Tourist Information Centre, a wise choice as it turned out as one member of staff had strong connections with the club and was able to put him in contact with club secretary Jim Scally.

Mr Scally said: "I met up Mr Setzinger at the club and he was delighted to see the medal."

"He and his partner were touring England before heading home. Unfortunately he did not have the answer to the mystery," said Mr Scally.

Life member Terry Clegg also remembers how the story unfolded. "The young man was in some Australian ghost town, a former gold town, when he discovered the medal in a rubbish pile."

The medal was found close to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia.

He joked: "I think he thought he had struck gold but eventually decided the club had more use for the medal than he did."

It is certainly the oldest piece of memorabilia owned by the club. Unfortunately the mystery is likely to remain just that because records for 1895 to 1909 were destroyed by fire more than 25 years ago.

The Gazette attempted to solve the mystery at the time the medal first arrived back at the club. It may have been awarded when the club won the Yorkshire Central Cricket League after a play off with Leeds Police.

Ilkley to Australia is quite a trek. Do any Gazette readers have information which could shed light on this medal's remarkable journey?

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