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

Realistically, they'd hope for an contest for the urn in Australia where they remain in contention to reclaim the urn after the first three Tests.

This is not the case this time, though, after a comprehensive 82-run win in Adelaide gave Australia 3-0 up for the fourth straight contest on Australian grounds.

The Barmy Army, the vocal contingent, have thousands of supporters making the journey for the concluding fixtures in Sydney and Melbourne.

There are also travel parties who will spend the Christmas period in Australia, as well as relatives and companions planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Fans with Booked Tickets

Four fans named Alex, Sam, Rory and Katie are a prime example.

The four siblings had their flights and tickets secured for the Boxing Day and New Year Tests "12 months ago", anticipating a historic English victory.

From afar, they've seen Australia defeat England convincingly in just 11 days from their house in the north of England.

"People in the office has been teasing me about it being over for the last two weeks," stated Sam Ryding.

"We always thought that we would have a meaningful contest upon our arrival."

Lowered Expectations

Optimism was high about England's chances of breaking a 15-year drought for a triumph on Australian soil ahead of the tour.

Yet now they are staring down the barrel of prolonging a streak without victory in the country to 19 games when the next match starts in the MCG on Christmas Day.

The England team - and their followers - will be keen to prevent a whitewash.

Alex said the "excitement and fun" of head coach the aggressive 'Bazball' approach in recent times had "reinvigorated" Test cricket for English supporters.

But the Ryding siblings said they had low expectations for the fourth and fifth Tests - and all they are asking for from the players is "a show of spirit".

"Commentators consistently references this, but it all comes down to mental resilience. 'The aggressive approach has been elevated to a term now that is just, like, nonsense cricket," stated Rory Ryding.

"Over the course of five days, you should hunker down. Chasing balls 'sixth stump' areas has not been part of the textbooks, and that is mainly the fault the top order."

Looking Ahead

Asked whether he believed England will secure a victory in this Ashes series, Sam said: "The evidence suggests the Aussies are just too good right now."

"Necessarily, there must be more than one player that makes a significant contribution and turns the game."

Even with the series lost, the fans are anticipating the trip.

"We will have a great time anyway," commented Katie Ryding. "We have to go with that outlook."

"Naturally, it's a let-down we can't contest the series, but we have invested a significant amount by now."

"We will make the most of spending the festive season out there. It is also mine and Rory's first time traveling at this time of year."

A schoolteacher, Katie is focused on enjoying the 21,000-mile round-trip as part of her seasonal break.

"Should the cricket disappoint, there's always golf to fall back on," she finished.