SAWTELL cricketers have a reputation for liking limited overs cricket.

The club added to that record in Saturday's season opener at Richardson Park.

Hosting Park Beach Bowling Club Colts, the premiers took advantage of winning the toss and posted 6-232 from their 45 overs.

Before the match, president Rod Buckle spoke of expectations surrounding teenaged batsman Tyh Murphy and the exciting youngster answered the call in so many ways.

Murphy put on 59 runs at the top of the order including a partnership of 76 with Brad Lewis and 35 with Ben Andrews.

In the field he took one catch and returned bowling figures of 1-9 from his three overs.

If anybody needed reminding how valuable Andrews is to the club, he top scored with 71 before coming out to open the bowling.

Andrews then made the breakthrough by removing Colts opener Tim Parkins when it looked like the visiting side were getting into a comfortable rhythm.

Colts' other opener, Alec Baldwin, might have felt disappointed with how his day ended.

The youngster punched out 59 quick runs but nobody could match his scoring rate.

When Baldwin's wicket fell, Colts were 3-87 and the innings meandered away from that moment.

It ended with the last batsman heading to the shed in the 31st over with the total sitting on 124.

Trent Mitchell was the destroyer.

He smashed the middle order - at one stage taking 5-14 - and finished the afternoon with total figures of 6-37 from seven overs.

Meanwhile, Plantation Diggers and Dorrigo faced off in the first top grade match played at Forsyth Park (McLean Street Oval) in many summers and it's an outing Alex Byrne won't forget in a hurry.

Byrne was unbeaten on 84 by the time Diggers moved past the target of 147 set by Dorrigo in the 19th over of their session.

The men from the mountain found it hard going once Secomb, Wilson and Gilbert were removed with Glen Kesby figuring prominently in the dismissals.

Luke Beaumont produced some fireworks in the middle of the day with a handy 43 but without building partnerships, the innings ran out of steam.

Next Saturday, it's another round of one day matches highlighted by the debut appearance by Urunga against Plantation Colts at Brelsford Park.

Sawtell at the Richardson Park fortress will be a formidable opponent for Dorrigo while PBBC Colts have the day off.