England’s Barmy Army blamed for soaring prices Down Under after Ashes humiliation

The spending by England cricket fans in Australia during the Ashes series has been blamed for a rise in inflation Down Under. It could cost average home borrowers nearly £1,000

The Barmy Army has been blamed for an inflation bounce Down Under.

Experts reckon the spending by English cricket tourists for the Ashes sparked a hike that could cost average home borrowers in Australia almost $2,000 (£1,000) this year. And they fear the Australian economy will be on a sticky wicket due to travel and hospitality prices being raised for the recent series.

Betashares chief economist David Bassanese said: “To some extent, the hospitality and travel costs were a one-off due to the Ashes and Barmy Army. The airlines also never miss an opportunity to jack up prices when demand surges.

“But that’s only the caveat, the overall picture is that underlying inflation has been very strong since the September quarter.”

Holiday costs surged 7.4% from November to December due to thousands of fans flocking to Australia for the Ashes, which the home side won 4-1.

And the Barmy Army’s X account reacted to the news with three laughing emojis.

Meanwhile, cricket icon Lord Ian Botham, 70, quipped: “Well they [England fans] didn’t have much cricket to watch did they so they spent some money those boys.”

Elsewhere, financial markets expect at least two interest rate rises before Christmas, driving up the cost of credit cards, car loans and personal debt.

Sarah Orr, from website Comparethemarket.com, warned: “It means a lot of pain for mortgage holders. If you look at a $600,000 (£306,0000) loan a typical 25 basis point increase will add $94 (£47) to those monthly repayments.”

She added: “It could be the difference between going on a little holiday, or being stuck at home. It’s also going to impact household spending, people will have to cut back, tighten their belts.”

The tour saw England’s players criticised for their off-field antics, especially when it came to drinking. Harry Brook was slapped with a £30,000 fine by the England and Wales Cricket Board following a scuffle with a bouncer outside a nightclub, having been refused entry for being intoxicated.

Brook, once the altercation had come to light, said: “I want to apologise for my actions. I fully accept that my behaviour was wrong and brought embarrassment to both myself and the England team.

“Representing England is the greatest honour of all, which I take seriously and I am deeply sorry for letting down my team-mates, coaches and supporters. I have reflected on the lessons it has taught me about responsibility, professionalism and the standards expected of those representing your country.”