'People keep ribbing me' about the series finishing ahead of my trip.

Beautiful weather, classic snacks and legendary venues - what else would an England cricket fan possibly want?

Ideally, they'd want an Ashes series in Australia where they still have a chance to win back the Ashes once the opening games are done.

That will not be happening on this occasion, however, after a comprehensive triumph in Adelaide put the hosts leading three-nil for the fourth consecutive series on Australian grounds.

England's famous supporters' group, the organized fan base, have 3,000 fans traveling for the last two matches in Sydney and Melbourne.

In addition, there are tour groups who will spend the Christmas period overseas, as well as families and friends embarking on a dream holiday.

Fans with Booked Tickets

A group of four supporters are among those affected.

The four siblings had their itineraries and entry credentials arranged for the Boxing Day and New Year Tests "well ahead of time", hoping to witness a rare England series success.

Instead, they have watched Australia outplay the visitors in just a short period from their family home in the north of England.

"All my colleagues has been giving me grief about it being over for the last two weeks," stated Sam Ryding.

"We always thought that we would have the series on the line by the time we arrived."

Lowered Expectations

Hope was abundant regarding the team's prospects of breaking a 15-year drought for a victory down under ahead of the tour.

Yet now they are staring down the barrel of extending their winless run in the country to 19 consecutive Tests when the fourth Test gets under way in the MCG on Christmas Day.

The tourists - and their fans - will be desperate to avoid a whitewash.

Alex said the "excitement and fun" of head coach Brendon McCullum's 'Bazball' in recent years had "renewed interest in" the longest format for followers of the team.

However, the group said they had low expectations for the fourth and fifth Tests - and all they are requesting from the players is "some resilience".

"Every pundit references this, but it all hinges on mental resilience. 'The aggressive approach has been become a phrase now that is just, like, nonsense cricket," commented another sibling.

"In a five-day Test match, you should dig in. Chasing balls 'wide of off stump has never featured in the textbooks, and that is largely because of the batting lineup."

Looking Ahead

Prompted about he believed England will win a match in this contest, came the reply: "It looks like the Australians are superior currently."

"There is going to have to be more than one player that stands up for England and produces a match-winning display."

Regardless of the result, the siblings are still looking forward to the trip.

"It will be a fantastic experience anyway," commented Katie Ryding. "We must adopt that mindset."

"Of course, it's disappointing we aren't fighting for more, but we have spent so much money as it is."

"We plan to savor celebrating the holidays in Australia. Additionally, it's a new experience for us abroad at this time of year."

An educator, Katie is determined to make the most of the long-haul travel as part of her Christmas holidays.

"Should the cricket disappoint, I can play golf to turn to," Katie concluded.