Neil Lederman has set his sights high as London Maccabi Vale prepare for the Chess Valley League campaign.

LMV were awarded a double promotion after finishing runners-up in Division Seven last season – their first campaign in the league.

Lederman believes an injection of youth will lead the Rowley Lane team to great things this term.

All-rounder Mark Landau has joined from MAL, while youngsters Marcus Faux 14, Josh Stevens, 12, and Adam Spooner come in to freshen things up.

Lederman said: "Once again, the aim is to get promoted; it will be a lot more challenging this season as we're entering the unknown.

"Availability will be the key, as we have a strong spine of the team available for most games. With the likes of Joseph Greenwall-Cohen, Danny Caro, Russell Corin, Andrew Greenwall-Cohen, Jonathan Gould, Grant Reingold and Adam Brand, we should be competitive, although we may not get our strongest XI out until our university boys finish their exams around the end of June.

"The 1st XI are stronger – the signing of Landau is a big coup, adding to the depth of an already long batting line-up."

Big things are predicted from opening batsman Spooner, a player Lederman describes as "a good find" and Stevens, while Harry Rothband and Ben Kohler return after a year off.

LMV's 2nd XI have been in transition in recent seasons. Lederman said: "Their restructuring will continue and it could be a few years until the group is settled as an ageing team is replaced by colts, both from other clubs and our own set-up. But if we can get through the next few years then the future could look positive."

Brand is already in top form, smashing back-to-back half centuries against Redbourn and Kensington & Chelsea respectively.

Meanwhile, Huddy Lieberman brought down the curtain on his South Manchester career with a devastating spell in the 10-wicket success against Salford.

Steven Allweis claimed the first of his three wickets in the first over, but it was Lieberman - bowling in his last ever game for South before he departs for Israel - who produced a match-winning spell of 1-3 from seven overs as Salford were whittled for 68.

Allweis finished with 3-15 off 10 overs, and Dan Franks's 3-12 helped restrict Salford to just 68.

Loz Newman, 28 not out, and Elliot Koffman, 36 not out, made light work of reaching the target.