Tom Sykes claimed two wins in the sixth round of the World Superbike Championship at Donington Park as British riders dominated both races.

The Englishman, 29, beat series leader Jonathan Rea, 28, in the opening race on Sunday, and won by more than nine seconds in the second instalment.

Northern Ireland’s Rea was also runner-up in race two as Kawasaki team-mate Sykes claimed a sixth successive win at Donington.

Wales’ Chaz Davies was third each time.

Rea, who managed to avoid crashing as he rounded Coppice Corner early in the second race, leads the Championship by 101 points from English rider Leon Haslam, on 179, but Sykes’ double triumph takes him to within one point of second place.

In race one, Aprilia rider Haslam, 31, moved ahead of Sykes, who had taken pole position, on the opening corner before the race developed into a thrilling battle between the latter and his Kawasaki team-mate Rea.

Sykes and Rea overtook one another on several occasions over the opening 15 circuits of the 23-lap race.

The British pair gestured towards each on a number of occasions as they came perilously close to touching while attempting overtaking manoeuvres before Sykes moved clear with six laps remaining.

However, both Sykes and Rea paid tribute to each other immediately after the race and denied that there was any sense of animosity between them.