A SIX-WICKET win at on-song bottom club Lye ensured Cookley passed a firm test of character in Worcestershire Saturday League Division Two.

The eighth-placed villagers had to bounce back from losing the previous week despite scoring more than 320 runs.

Skipper Adam Nicholls had no hesitancy in putting the home side into bat and Lye slumped to 1-2 after just seven balls.

Stourport Swifts footballer Nicholls led the way with 4-30, aided by Kiwi John Blakeley's 3-13 as Lye crashed out at 113.

Cookley found the pitch difficult to bat on as well and wobbled at 66-4 only for Phil Dixon (39 not out) and Blakeley (27 not out) to ensure an important win.

Lye 113, Cookley 114-4.

Although the seconds lost by 33 runs, the game was particularly memorable for a life-time best from Simon Anderson.

In a continuous 23-over spell, Anderson took 8-80 and looked set to go through the entire card after taking the first seven wickets.

But Pete Lowe got in on the act and took the eighth wicket as Lye fell for 188 runs.

In reply, Cookley were in trouble at 55-7 but Lowe scored an impressive 55 not out on his first appearance of the season.

Lower-order contributions helped Cookley make a fight before losing their final wicket with less than two overs to go.

Lye 188, Cookley 2nds 155.

Cookley have suspended an un-named first-team player for two midweek matches for comments he made to umpire Tony Wrench.

Club chairman Dixon said: "We have apologised to Tony and suspended the player as evidence of the club's policy of not showing dissent to umpires' decisions."