IT WAS the band Travis who asked: “Why does it always rain on me?”

So, it was somewhat ironic that after a dry Glastonbury and following two ODIs where England have tumbled New Zealand’s wickets quicker than Tory seats, the weather delayed the start at Bristol’s County Ground today in the third and final game of the series.

Grey overcast skies, drizzle and a wet pitch just about summed up the mood in the Conservative camp ahead of tomorrow’s general election — somewhat sombre, let’s put it that way; and the rain just got heavier.

Fourteen years of this despicable lot in their pinstripe suits has been about as welcome as the dreich that greeted fans with hoods pulled over their heads in the West Country. But at 2-0 the game, much like Rishi Sunak’s crowd, was a dead rubber anyway.