VERWOOD'S Rizla Crescent Suzuki team enjoyed their finest hour at Donington Park on Sunday when they clinched the Think British Superbike Championship.

John Reynolds needed eight points from the final two rounds to put top rival Michael Rutter out of reach - and he did, with a cool, assured third place, coincidentally behind Rutter and double race winner Ryuichi Kyonari on the HM Plant Hondas.

The success of the New Forest based team ended a long run of Ducati success in the Superbike Championship and team owner Paul Denning said: "It capped a great season by John, but most of all it was a tremendous team effort."

Crescent Suzuki feared their championship hopes might have gone when Reynolds crashed heavily at Thruxton in August and broke his collarbone, but miraculously the former champion was back in the saddle after just two weeks and immediately began picking up points to put Rutter out of reach.

It looks likely that Reynolds will defend the title on the Suzuki next year although the future of his talented Japanse teammate,Yukio Kagayama, is uncertain.

Winchester's James Hillier finished a commendable fourth in the Virgin Mobile Yamaha R6 Cup series after the last of several podium finishes this season at Donington where he was third.

It was Hiller's second year in the popular one-make series and a top-five finish in the championship means he is unable to re-enter it again next year.

His performances, though, should boost his chances of securing a ride in one of the national championships in 2005.