CLACTON Cricket Club skipper Harlan Greig hopes his side are hitting form at just the right time.

The Seasiders have won their last three Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship matches and their most recent success came by 84 runs at home to Mildenhall on Saturday.

The purple patch has left them handily placed in fifth spot in division two, heading into this weekend's crunch match at the side directly above - north Essex rivals Copford.

"We're playing well and, with a 14-point cushion between ourselves and Mildenhall, in sixth, we feel we're very much in the promotion picture," said Greig, who hit a century in Saturday's showdown at Vista Road.

"This coming weekend could be crucial as we play Copford and it's top versus third, with Braintree facing Frinton.

"The table could look very different and we have to keep playing good cricket, to make sure we're still in the thick of it.

"Things have really clicked in the last three weeks and one of the most pleasing things is that more players are contributing runs.

"Our batting order looks much stronger and, with our bowling attack, we feel confident we can defend anything above 220."

Greig smashed 106 and Ryan Chamberlain 66 as Clacton, having won the toss and elected to bat, made 267 for six. Imran Sheikh contributed a useful 31.

Mildenhall were then restricted to 183 for five, with Bradley Pitts returning three wickets for 47 runs in 13 overs.

There were also wickets for Greig and Lewis Kirk.

Clacton have ten matches left and currently have 171 points from their 12 matches.

Copford have 179, Frinton 184, East Bergholt 184 and leaders Braintree 194.