Shane Byrne extended his British Superbike Championship lead with another strong showing at Knockhill on Sunday.

Sittingbourne man Byrne finished second behind fellow triple champion Ryuichi Kiyonari in the opening race, the Japanese rider taking the chequered flag by 4.861sec for his first win of the season.

The pair did battle again in the second race but this time Byrne had the edge, pipping his rival by 0.176 to open up a 190-111 lead over Josh Brookes in the championship standings.

Byrne said: “That win was a lot harder than some of the others this season.

“I knew Kiyo was going to be super strong and the man to beat. He has been like a robot with a special little chip inside him that makes him do a phenomenal pace every single lap.

“We needed to pull something out of the bag and I am delighted that we have been able to do it.”

Round five of the series is at Brands Hatch from July 18-20.