LIBERAL Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the Conservatives are in their “last innings” when he played cricket in Salisbury on Saturday.
His party became the largest on Wiltshire Council with 43 seats at Thursday's local elections, beating the Tories' 37.
But the Lib Dems did not win enough seats to achieve a majority and take overall control of the county.
The unitary authority also has seven independents, 10 Reform UK councillors and one representative from Labour.
Voter turnout was just over 36 per cent.
Elected councillors are expected to speak in the coming days to decide how Wiltshire will be governed after the vote.
Sir Ed put on his pads at Harnham Recreation Ground during his visit, batting with Wiltshire Lib Dem leader Ian Thorn.
“The Conservatives are on their last innings and we’re on track to overtake them at the next general election,” Sir Ed said.
“Middle England put its faith in us because they are appalled by Kemi Badenoch’s lurch to the right and pandering to Farage.”
Across England, the Conservatives lost more than 600 councillors and all 15 of the councils it controlled going into the election.
The Lib Dems gained a total of 163 seats. Labour lost 187.
Read more: Liberal Democrats become largest party on city council
Read more: Plans for 'prominent and imposing' telephone boxes thrown out
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch apologised to defeated Conservative councillors and pledged to get the party back to being viewed as the “credible alternative to Labour”.
Meanwhile, Reform leader Nigel Farage hailed the results as “the end of two-party politics” and “the death of the Conservative Party” as his party picked up 10 councils and more than 600 seats in Thursday’s poll.
Reform also won a by-election in Runcorn and Helsby by just six votes.
Share