RYUICHI Kiyonari extended his lead over Jonathan Rea in the chase for the Bennetts British Superbike crown with a winning double in the tenth round at Croft Circuit, near Darlington.

It was also an afternoon that saw Tom Sykes enjoy his first podium finishes in the country's premier championship.

The challenge of the home riders had come to the fore, with Cal Crutchlow securing maiden pole glory at record-breaking pace then running strongly into fourth place in the opening race.

It was Rea, however, who made the perfect start to each of the races. In the opener, his HM Plant Honda team-mate Kiyonari was tucked in behind and looking for the way through and that came on the eighth lap as he nosed through on the inside line at the hairpin.

Kiyonari, keen to impress the visiting hierarchy of the Honda Racing Corporation, had the initiative and was able to control the race from the front.

He was ahead of Rea with Sykes a strong fourth from Crutchlow and Haslam holding on to fifth ahead of his Airwaves Ducati team-mate Gregorio Lavilla.

Rea again made the better start next time out, but this time he had Crutchlow, Sykes and Haslam running astern with Kiyonari back in fifth place, but the Japanese rider was soon making his presence felt.

He moved ahead of Haslam on the third lap, where he was taking a really tight line.

Two laps later, he repeated the move, this time nosing ahead of both Sykes and Crutchlow to be run second.

Kiyonari was ahead on the sixth lap, taking Rea on the power away from Sunny en route to his ninth victory of the campaign, and his 34th since arriving in the British series in 2004.

It puts him 26 points ahead of Rea in the standings.

"It's very important to win here and now the championship is looking good," he said. "In the second race I pushed on, but I didn't want to push too hard.

"In the previous two rounds, I won one and crashed in one at Mallory and Oulton. Here, I finished both and won and I am very happy to have a big gap over Jonny now."

Rea said that Kiyonari had the better drive out of the corners but believes that he can still catch him in the title stakes.

"He is pressuring me but I am still in there for the title," he said. "The tracks coming up are good for me so I believe that I can pull him back but for Honda these races were very important as they took 1-2-3 finishes."

The third placings belonged to Sykes, whose maturing style is shining through aboard the Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda.

"To get my first podiums here is fantastic," said the 21-year-old Yorkshireman. "I am so happy for my team who have worked so hard for me, and in the first race I tried hard for second, going side by side by Rea. But I didn't get the chance."

Lavilla took fourth ahead of Leon Camier with Haslam sixth.

James Buckingham moved ahead in the chase for the British Superbike Cup.

The Quay Garage Honda rider finished second in the Privateers category to NuttTravel Yamaha rider Marty Nutt, but won next time out from the young Ulsterman.

Tom Tunstall, riding the Hardinge Ice Valley Honda, was third in each of the races.