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Sunshine, meat pies and world-famous cricket grounds - what else would an England cricket fan desire?

Well, perhaps an Ashes series in Australia where they still have a chance to reclaim the urn following the initial matches.

That will not be happening on this occasion, however, after Australia's crushing victory by 82 runs in Adelaide gave Australia 3-0 up for the fourth straight contest on home turf.

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

In addition, there are tour groups who will spend the Christmas period down under, as well as families and friends planning a dream holiday.

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 arranged for the fourth and fifth Tests "well ahead of time", dreaming of a rare England series success.

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

"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 the series on the line by the time we arrived."

Lowered Expectations

Hope was abundant about England's chances of ending their 15-year wait for a triumph on Australian soil before it began.

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

The England team - and their followers - will be keen to prevent a dreaded 5-0 scoreline.

It was mentioned that the "thrill and enjoyment" of head coach the positive style of play in the past couple of seasons had "reinvigorated" Test cricket for English supporters.

Yet the fans said they had minimal hopes for the final two games - and all they are asking for from the players is "some resilience".

"Commentators consistently alludes to it, but it all comes down to psychological strength. 'The aggressive approach has been become a phrase now that is just, like, nonsense cricket," added Rory.

"In a five-day Test match, you should dig in. Chasing balls 'wide of off stump has not been part of the textbooks, and that is mainly the fault the batting lineup."

Future Prospects

When questioned if he believed England will win a match in this Ashes series, came the reply: "The evidence suggests the hosts are a stronger side currently."

"It will require multiple performers that makes a significant contribution and turns the game."

Despite the scoreline, the siblings are still excited about the trip.

"It will be a great time anyway," said Katie. "We must adopt that mindset."

"Obviously it is a let-down we don't have more to play for, but we have made a substantial financial commitment by now."

"We'll enjoy spending the festive season in Australia. This will be a new experience for us traveling over Christmas."

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

"As a backup plan, there's always golf to rely on," Katie concluded.