'People keep ribbing me' regarding the series finishing before I get there.

Spectators on tour

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

Ideally, they'd want an Ashes series in Australia where they retain a possibility to reclaim the urn after the first three Tests.

This is not the case on this occasion, however, after Australia's crushing triumph in Adelaide left the home side leading three-nil for the fourth consecutive series on Australian grounds.

The loyal traveling fans, England's supporters' group, have thousands of supporters making the journey for the concluding fixtures in New South Wales and Victoria.

There are also organized trips who will celebrate the holidays in Australia, as well as families and friends heading for a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

The Disappointed Travelers

Four fans named Alex, Sam, Rory and Katie are among those affected.

The four siblings had their itineraries and entry credentials booked for the Melbourne and Sydney matches "well ahead of time", hoping to witness a historic English victory.

Instead, they have watched Australia dismantle the tourists in just a short period from their residence in the north of England.

"All my colleagues has been making comments regarding the concluded contest for the last two weeks," stated Sam Ryding.

"We always thought that we would have the series on the line upon our arrival."

Fading Positivity

There was plenty of positivity about England's chances of breaking a 15-year drought for a triumph on Australian soil before it began.

But they are now staring down the barrel of continuing a barren spell in the country to 19 games when the fourth Test gets under way in Melbourne on Thursday, 25 December.

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

It was mentioned that the "excitement and fun" of head coach Brendon McCullum's 'Bazball' in the past couple of seasons had "renewed interest in" Test cricket for English supporters.

However, the group said they had realistic outlooks for the remaining matches - and all they are asking for from the players is "some resilience".

"Every pundit points it out, but it all is about mental resilience. 'The aggressive approach has been become a phrase now that is just, like, impractical batting," stated Rory Ryding.

"Over the course of five days, you should hunker down. Wafting outside 'outside the line has never been in the coaching manuals, and that is mainly the fault the frontline batsmen."

The Remaining Matches

Prompted about he believed England will secure a victory in this contest, one fan responded: "The evidence suggests the Australians are superior right now."

"Necessarily, there must be more than one player that stands up for England and turns the game."

Regardless of the result, the fans are anticipating the trip.

"We will have a wonderful trip regardless," said Katie. "Our approach is that mindset."

"Obviously it is disappointing we can't contest the series, but we have made a substantial financial commitment by now."

"We'll enjoy having Christmas and New Year out there. It is also mine and Rory's first time abroad over Christmas."

A teacher, Katie is focused on enjoying the long-haul travel as part of her time off.

"If all else fails, I've got golf to rely on," Katie concluded.

Jordan Flores
Jordan Flores

Elara Vance is a tech enthusiast and gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in digital entertainment and software development.