Toseland extends lead

James Toseland powered clear at the top of the World Superbike Championship standings after coming away with a win and a second place from two races at Phillip Island in Australia.

The Briton held off a spirited challenge from defending champion Troy Bayliss to win the day's second race at the 4.4-kilometre track having earlier finished second behind the home favourite in race one.

The double podium elevates the 2004 champion to a 16-point championship lead over former MotoGP star Max Biaggi, the Alstare Suzuki rider having left Australia with a podium in race one and a fourth in race two.

Ducati Xerox rider Bayliss, meanwhile, surged into third place in the standings on the back of an improved performance at his home race, having struggled at the season opener in Losail a fortnight ago.

Toseland's race two triumph came despite a bad start from second place on the grid, but the 26-year-old Ten Kate Honda rider soon hit the front by passing both Bayliss and the fast-starting Biaggi with a textbook move on lap three.

Bayliss and Toseland then raced clear of a heated battle for third place involving Biaggi and Motor Italia Yamaha team-mates Troy Corser and Noriyuki Haga, with the leading pair rarely separated by more than a second as they battled to the flag.

And Toseland withstood the pressure of the reigning champion to claim the win by just 0.274 seconds, much to the delight of the relieved Briton.

"I thought he [Bayliss] was going get me," Toseland told Eurosport.

"All I could hear was that Ducati in my ears, so I covered my lines better.

"He came past once, but I got him back. I lost race one because Troy is really good here and I used my tyres up too much, but I didn't want it to happen again. It's been a great weekend."