Matty Weston: Bear necessities at Woodlands

In the first of our series of interviews with cricketers who are Bear Cricket ambassadors, I caught up with Matty Weston who opens the batting for Woodlands 1st XI in the Bradford Premier League’s Premier Division.

As we chat via Zoom, Matty looks relaxed and maybe just relieved to be back playing cricket again after a serious shoulder injury ruled him out of the second half of last season.

Weston’s association with Bear Cricket is from the brand’s earlier days, founded by Adam Brown in 2016: “Brownie was my first under-14s coach at Yorkshire and he played cricket with my dad.”

Bunbury Festival Bear

He remembers being given a Bear Cricket bat for the Bunbury Festival; the tournament for the best under-15 players in England where teams are split into regions:

“I wasn’t sure whether to use it for the very first time…I ended up getting a hundred on the first day and had lots of lads asking me about it!”

That same day as a teen, Matty began a habit of adding extra grips to the top of his bat as a counterbalance. With the pickup so personal and crucial, like slipping into a pair of comfortable shoes, it’s something he’s done ever since.

His talent with the bat saw Weston stacking up runs and awards for home club Barkisland in the Huddersfield Cricket League, winning the Reg Haigh Trophy / Best Young Player two years running.

Quality cricket bats and equipment that lasts

Matty’s 2024 tally of 942 runs at an average of 52 persuaded Woodlands to make a move as the opening partner to Mosun Hussain. Now established at the top end of first-team club cricket, why has he stuck with Bear Cricket all of these years?

“Adam’s been very generous to me which I appreciate…the bats have always been good and I will say that the gloves and pads are top quality. I’ve had the pads I’ve got now for four years.”

Buying cricket equipment is an investment and cricketers of all ages and standards need to trust that it will last and do the job.

Playing ECB Premier Division cricket and representing Loughborough UCCE against counties means Matty faces serious rockets: “You want to know that if you get hit on the gloves, it’s going to protect your hands!”

Players Edition

Cricketers choosing Bear Cricket equipment can opt for the Players range or the Pro Edition range, which is exactly the same as the professionals, like Jonny Tattersall and Ella Claridge, use for county or country.

Thinking of sweat-soaked softs, the distant memory of that May heatwave, where Yorkshire reached 31°C across the Bank Holiday weekend, doubtless put batters through their paces.

In terms of match day quirks or habits when it comes to his kit – are there any he wants to admit to?

“I’m actually not very superstitious. I put my right pad on first and left and then right then left glove – but I think that’s more about routine.”

Weston does change gloves quite often, if he’s settled at the crease and batting long (“I’ve got about four or five pairs of gloves on the go at the minute.”)

As for targets this season, Matty’s goal is to help Woodlands win back the Bradford Premier League title from New Farnley and get some second-team county cricket under his belt.

Having represented Yorkshire as a junior, making the step up to a county 1st XI, as others such as Joe Pocklington at Farsley have with Notts, is on the radar:

“That’s definitely still in my mind. I’ve got ambition to do that and I still have confidence that I can hold my own and prove myself at that level. I just need the opportunities and a bit of luck.”

Playing with freedom

After this summer, a return to Australian grade cricket is lined up with Fitzroy in Melbourne but first… hard graft at Albert Terrace.

“The main thing at the minute is just enjoying being back out there. We went to South Africa on tour in the pre-season (with Loughborough UCCE) and my first game back, I remember just walking out and smiling, thinking ‘this is great!’ ”

He wrapped things up by observing: “When you’ve had an injury like that, you genuinely are grateful to be able to play again because you take your body for granted a little bit.”

Matty Weston uses the Kodiak Bear Cricket Bat (Players Edition), Players Edition Batting Pads and Players Edition Gloves.

Visit bearcricket.co.uk or check them out as Bear Cricket on Facebook or @bear.cricket on Instagram.

(📸 With thanks to Ray Spencer for the photos of Matty batting.)

✍️ This is Partner Content for Bear Cricket – if the mood takes you, click to read Cricket Yorkshire’s policy on Partner Content.