James Ellison has taken his first British Superbike Championship win since the op🐬ening round of the season after mastering treac✤herous conditions at Silverstone.

The Swan Honda rider, who finished fourth in the damp opening encounter, made the most of his impr💯oved starting position to snatch the lead from the start and cruise away to win by almost six seconds.

Ellison, who has embarked on a steady return to form since breaking his leg at Thruxton 🅘back in April, was barely challenged throughout the race, which was shortened due to the delays in the schedule.

Indeed, Kiyonari put up a ಞstern fight initially but decided to settle for a good points' haul in second rather than challenge Ellison on the slippery surface.

A good event for HM Plant Honda following their difficult start to the title shootout at Croft, Brookes completed the podium to he🐠lp close things up in the overall standings, the Australian moving up to sec༒ond position, 11 points behind Tommy Hill.

Brookes's cause was further aided by a first corner retirement for Michael Laverty, the Relentless Suzജuki ri🌼der losing the back-end of his machine to record a costly retirement. He is now behind both Brookes and Kiyonari in the title reckoning, 19 points off the lead with three races remaining.

Race 𒐪one winner Michael Rutter was another to fail to finish, the BSB veteran cras𝓡hing out of third position to all-but-end his chances of winning the 2010 title.

Hill, meanwhile, battled his way to fifth place behind Alastair Seeley after never♏ looking entirely comfortable in the conditions, though he did s💃how his mettle by fighting his way past a Dan Linfoot and Gary Mason.

Linfoot put in a superb charge to finish in sixth for Motorpo𒐪int Yamaha after Loris Baz crashed at turn one, while Mason ended his race in seventh after running as high as third at one stage.

Chris Walker, John Laverty and Peter Hickman completed the top ten in what was 🐼a race of attrition, just 18 riders reac💜hing the chequered flag.