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

Well, perhaps an Ashes series in Australia where they still have a chance to win back the Ashes after the first three Tests.

This is not the case during this tour, after the hosts' dominant victory by 82 runs in Adelaide gave Australia leading three-nil for the fourth consecutive series on home turf.

England's famous supporters' group, the organized fan base, have 3,000 fans flying out for the concluding fixtures in the SCG and MCG.

Furthermore, other tour groups who will celebrate the holidays in Australia, as well as families and friends embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Fans with Booked Tickets

The Ryding siblings are among those affected.

The group had their itineraries and entry credentials arranged for the Boxing Day and New Year Tests "12 months ago", dreaming of a rare England series success.

Sadly, they've observed Australia defeat England convincingly in just 11 days from their family home in Penwortham, Lancashire.

"Everyone at work has been giving me grief regarding the concluded contest for the last two weeks," stated Sam Ryding.

"Our expectation had been that we would have a meaningful contest still when we got there."

Diminishing Hope

Hope was abundant regarding the team's prospects of breaking a 15-year drought for a triumph on Australian soil prior to the first ball.

Yet now they are looking at the possibility of continuing a barren spell in the country to 19 consecutive Tests when the next match starts in Melbourne on Thursday, 25 December.

The tourists - and their fans - will be desperate to avoid a dreaded 5-0 scoreline.

One sibling noted the "excitement and fun" of head coach the aggressive 'Bazball' approach in the past couple of seasons had "brought fresh energy to" the longest format for English supporters.

But the Ryding siblings said they had low expectations for the final two games - and all they are asking for from the players is "some resilience".

"Every pundit alludes to it, but it all hinges on psychological strength. 'Bazball' has been become a phrase now that is just, like, nonsense cricket," commented another sibling.

"Over the course of five days, you should apply yourself. Chasing balls 'wide of off stump has never featured in the textbooks, and that is largely because of the frontline batsmen."

Looking Ahead

When questioned if he believed England will win a match in this contest, one fan responded: "It appears the Aussies are just too good right now."

"Necessarily, there must be several individuals that delivers for the team and produces a match-winning display."

Despite the scoreline, the group remains anticipating the trip.

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

"Naturally, it's unfortunate we aren't fighting for more, but we have made a substantial financial commitment already."

"We'll enjoy celebrating the holidays out there. This will be our first experience traveling at this time of year."

A teacher, Katie is focused on enjoying the 21,000-mile round-trip as part of her Christmas holidays.

"Should the cricket disappoint, I've got golf to fall back on," Katie concluded.