Michael Laverty is the reigning British Supersport champion

Toomebridge's Michael Laverty finished in fifth and 10th places in Sunday's British Superbike round at Thruxton.

The Relentless TAS Suzuki rider just made the top 10 in the opening race which was won by Shane Byrne.

British Supersport champion Laverty then came fifth in the second race as Cal Crutchlow took the chequered flag.

This was the first championship round after Brands Hatch had to be abondoned and Laverty is placed seventh in the standings with 17 points.

His brother, Ducati rider John Laverty, is in 10th place on nine points.

Former champion Byrne won the first race by two seconds from Crutchlow.

But in the second race the HM Plant Honda rider upped the pace to take his maiden victory.

Byrne came through to take second place, and jointly leads the series with Crutchlow while Michael Rutter, third in each of the races, is just adrift of them.

The second race was halted by a spectacular crash, in which the somersaulting Suzuki of Tom Sykes smashed into Karl Harris, knocking him off his Yamaha, but the Sheffield rider escaped with facial, knee and ankle injuries.