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Golden sun, savory pies and iconic stadiums - what else would an supporter of the English team desire?

Realistically, they'd hope for an Ashes series in Australia where they remain in contention to reclaim the urn once the opening games are done.

This is not the case this time, though, after the hosts' dominant 82-run win in Adelaide gave Australia with a 3-0 lead for the fourth successive Ashes series on home turf.

The Barmy Army, the organized fan base, have 3,000 fans making the journey for the concluding fixtures in New South Wales and Victoria.

There are also organized trips who will spend the Christmas period in Australia, as well as families and friends planning a dream holiday.

Fans with Booked Tickets

The Ryding siblings are a prime example.

Alex, Sam, Rory and Katie had their travel arrangements and match passes secured for the Boxing Day and New Year Tests "well ahead of time", hoping to witness a long-awaited triumph.

From afar, they've seen Australia defeat England convincingly in just a short period from their residence in the north of England.

"People in the office has been giving me grief about it being over for the last two weeks," said Sam.

"We always thought that we would have a meaningful contest by the time we arrived."

Fading Positivity

Optimism was high regarding the team's prospects of securing a first win in 15 years for a series win in Australia before it began.

But they are now facing the prospect of continuing a barren spell in the country to 19 games 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.

It was mentioned that the "thrill and enjoyment" of head coach the positive style of play in recent years had "brought fresh energy to" the five-day game for England fans.

But the Ryding siblings said they had minimal hopes for the fourth and fifth Tests - and all they are asking for from the players is "some resilience".

"Every pundit references this, but it all is about fortitude. 'This style has been elevated to a term now that is just, like, impractical batting," added Rory.

"Over the course of five days, you should hunker down. Chasing balls 'sixth stump' areas has never featured in the textbooks, and that is largely because of the frontline batsmen."

Future Prospects

When questioned if he believed England will win a match in the current series, came the reply: "It looks like the hosts are a stronger side currently."

"There is going to have to be several individuals that delivers for the team and produces a match-winning display."

Even with the series lost, the fans are looking forward to the trip.

"It will be a wonderful trip regardless," added another sibling. "We must adopt that mindset."

"Of course, it's disappointing we can't contest the series, but we have invested a significant amount already."

"We'll enjoy having Christmas and New Year out there. This will be a new experience for us away from home at this time of year."

A teacher, Katie is intent on maximizing the 21,000-mile round-trip as part of her seasonal break.

"Should the cricket disappoint, I can play golf to fall back on," she added.