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Beautiful weather, classic snacks and legendary venues - what more could an Three Lions follower desire?

Ideally, they'd want an contest for the urn in Australia where they retain a possibility to secure the famous trophy following the initial matches.

This is not the case on this occasion, however, after a comprehensive 82-run win in Adelaide left the home side 3-0 up for the fourth straight contest on Australian grounds.

The loyal traveling fans, the vocal contingent, have 3,000 fans making the journey for the final two Tests in New South Wales and Victoria.

In addition, there are organized trips who will spend the Christmas period overseas, as well as loved ones planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

The Disappointed Travelers

Four fans named Alex, Sam, Rory and Katie are four such fans.

The four siblings had their travel arrangements and match passes booked for the Boxing Day and New Year Tests "well ahead of time", anticipating a long-awaited triumph.

Instead, they have watched Australia defeat England convincingly in just a short period from their family home in their hometown.

"People in the office has been making comments regarding the concluded contest for the last two weeks," commented one sibling.

"We always thought that we would have something to play for by the time we arrived."

Lowered Expectations

Hope was abundant concerning a potential victory of breaking a 15-year drought for a victory down under ahead of the tour.

Yet now they are facing the prospect of continuing a barren spell in the country to 19 games when the next match starts in Melbourne on Thursday, 25 December.

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

Alex said the "thrill and enjoyment" of head coach the positive style of play in the past couple of seasons had "reinvigorated" the five-day game for England fans.

But the Ryding siblings said they had realistic outlooks for the fourth and fifth Tests - and all they are hoping for from the players is "a bit of fight".

"Commentators consistently references this, but it all comes down to fortitude. 'This style has been turned into a buzzword now that is just, like, nonsense cricket," commented another sibling.

"During a long match, you should hunker down. Chasing balls 'outside the line has never been in the fundamentals, and that is mainly the fault the frontline batsmen."

Looking Ahead

Prompted about he believed England will win a match in the current series, one fan responded: "It appears the Australians are superior at the moment."

"Necessarily, there must be several individuals that delivers for the team and makes a big impact."

Even with the series lost, the group remains anticipating the trip.

"We are going to have a fantastic experience anyway," added another sibling. "We have to go with that outlook."

"Obviously it is disappointing we don't have more to play for, but we have spent so much money by now."

"We'll enjoy spending the festive season overseas. This will be a new experience for us traveling at this time of year."

A schoolteacher, Katie is determined to make the most of the lengthy journey as part of her seasonal break.

"As a backup plan, I can play golf to fall back on," Katie concluded.