At the time of writing, Australia is crushing the UK 3-0 in the Ashes series. The fourth and final Test will be played in Melbourne starting December 25. As the series plays out in Australia, England’s wait for a series win down under has now stretched to 15 years. Now the England cricket team are on the hot seat. Their pride refuses to accept a 5-0 scoreline humiliation and they want to break an 18-game winless run Down Under.
One of those thousands of England fans cheering on their favorite team will be the Ryding siblings—Alex, Sam, Rory, and Katie. They have made a great emotional commitment by pledging to root for their country through this most difficult of match-ups. Rory, a primary schoolteacher, had been inspired to travel 21,000 miles to cheer on England through his Christmas break. As optimistic as the Millwater siblings are, they’ve seen the worst of their team’s failures in front of them.
Ben Stokes, captain of the England team, arrives in a camp under fire. Their floundering top-order performance has been especially targeted. Brendon McCullum’s aggressive “Bazball” approach has re-energized Test cricket and captured the imagination of England fans. It’s failed to achieve that intended outcome to date.
Rory Ryding shared his thoughts on the current state of the team, stating, “Every pundit alludes to it, but it all comes down to mental resilience. ‘Bazball’ has been elevated to a term now that is just, like, nonsense cricket.” He openly criticized their approach at the crease. He is convinced that orthodox methods have to rule in five-day Test matches.
“In a five-day Test match, you should hunker down. Wafting outside ‘sixth stump’ areas has never been in the textbooks, and that is mainly the fault of the top order.” – Rory Ryding
Sam Ryding repeated his brother’s words, noting how powerful the Australian team was. He remarked, “It looks like the Aussies are just too good at the moment,” while adding that multiple players would need to step up for England to turn the tide.
“There is going to have to be more than one player that stands up for England and makes a big impact.” – Sam Ryding
Even through the team’s early season woes, you can bet Katie Ryding will have a positive attitude. “We are going to have a great time anyway,” she stated, hinting at the siblings’ shared passion for cricket and support for their country.
Sam reflected on the disappointment surrounding England’s performance, stating, “Everyone at work has been giving me grief about it being over for the last two weeks.” He said that he hoped by the time they got to Australia, there would be something real and meaningful to fight about.
“The hope was always that we would have something to play for still when we got there.” – Sam Ryding
Looking ahead to the upcoming Test match, Rory humorously noted, “If all else fails, I’ve got golf to fall back on,” highlighting the resilient spirit among cricket fans even in challenging times.
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