London Maccabi Vale's three-year plan received a timely boost after they clinched a deal with Israel's largest financier, Bank Hapoalim Private Banking.

Based at Rowley Lane, LMV, who share the ground with London Maccabi Lions FC, recently unveiled plans to include an outdoor net and covers.

Speaking about the deal, Saul Zneimer, head of Business Development at the bank, said: "We're extremely excited to be working with Vale. They have a good development plan and are a very forward looking club.

"It's great to have Israel's leading bank working in association with the community's leading cricket club. They have a growing colts section and lots of members who identify themselves with the community through sport.

An initial one-year deal worth £2,000 will see the bank's logo displayed on club shirts, the scoreboard and on the adjoining football pitch.

Zneimer said: "We're keen to raise our profile within the community. We're also working on similar projects with the JCC, Wizonet, the corporation for the New End Theatre and are also sponsoring the Tel Aviv University Film Festival at the Renoir Theatre."

Jonathan Galloway, who plays for the club and is an employee of the bank, said: "It was a no-brainer for the bank to sponsor the club which has a vision to turn into a centre for Maccabi sport, and the redevelopment plans are exciting. Having spent 15 years at Vale, I feel it's important for the sponsors to have a presence at the club 365 days of the year. Hopefully the deal will help open lots of doors for people who know about us in Israel and are interested in sport in the UK."

Galloway recently invited Zneimer to Rowley Lane, and he was suitably impressed. "I like the idea that it's not just a cricket ground. The facilities are really quite impressive."

LMV captain Adam Brand said: "Our aim is to produce the best Jewish players and send them to the Maccabiah. It's an exciting time for the club and we're optimistic about extending the sponsorship deal."

Zneimer, 52, who like Galloway is a UCS old boy, said: "It's really important that the bank has a social conscience and part of our corporate culture is to be involved in a variety of things, and if that can be in a Jewish environment then even better."

LMV currently top the Middlesex Sunday League.