When Bruce and Alex Earle arrived in Perth on Saturday, they didn’t expect the carnage that unfolded at Optus Stadium.

The father and son, who live in different hemispheres, had arranged to buy tickets to day three of the opening Ashes Test between Australia and England. Bruce, a former first-grade cricketer, is based in Sydney, while Alex had travelled from Germany for the match, and to see family in Australia.

It was their perfect idea of a bit of father-son bonding, watching Australia take a 1-0 series lead.

When they arrived in Perth around lunchtime, England held a 99-run lead with nine wickets in hand, and the match seemed destined to go well into Sunday.

The pair parked themselves at a pub near the ground and settled in for an entree to their much-anticipated day at the cricket.

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