Tommy Bridewell returned to the top step of the podium in the final race of the Bank Holiday weekend as he pulled back some authority from team-mate Glenn Irwin at Cadwell Park.

On an unusually low key weekend for the title contender in the run up to race three, Bridewell nonetheless stole the show in race three as he ground out a tight win over BeerMonster Ducati team-mate Glenn Irwin.

Indeed, Irwin came into the concluding encounter as a firm favourite to complete a triple victory following his well-judged late charges in races one and two.

However, though it was Irwin leading into the second-half of the race, he came into the closing laps with Bridewell in hot pursuit having made the most of a loftier sixth place starting position to get among the lead pack from the start.

With Bridewell upping the pressure, the two Ducati riders engaged in another entertaining tussle for a victory that could well prove pivotal in these latter stages of the year.

After getting a strong run through the first turns at the start of lap 16 of 18, Bridewell lined up a neat pass on the run down to the Park right-hander, squaring off the exit to prevent any retort from his team-mate at Chris Curve.

It would prove decisive too, Bridewell staying firm over the remaining two-and-a-half laps despite persistent pressure from Irwin right up to the flag, the pair crossing the line with just +0.057s to split them.

With Irwin having reduced the margin to Bridewell from a pre-event 26.5 points to just 12.5 points after race two, Bridewell's win swells this back up to 14.5 points.

From a team perspective though, Bridewell now enjoys a 51 point margin over third place man Kyle Ryde heading into the final three rounds, including a return to the traditional point-scoring system of recent years next time out at Oulton Park.

Leon Haslam demonstrated good pace on the ROKiT BMW M 1000 RR and would lead over the initial revolutions after getting a 'two-for-one' into Park on the opening lap. Though eventually overhauled, the 2018 BSB Champion was eventually rewarded with a third podium of the season.

He held off Kyle Ryde, the OMG Yamaha rider - the team's only starter after Ryan Vickers was ruled out following his crash in race two - lost more precious ground in the title race en route to fourth.

Lee Jackson completed the top five on the Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki, himself less than a second behind the win, while Jason O'Halloran's invigorated title hopes diluted after coming home sixth.

Christian Iddon notched up another solid run of results in seventh, ahead of Josh Brookes, the Australian another to see the energy of his early season title hopes wilt on the FHO Racing BMW M 1000 RR.

His team-mate Peter Hickman followed in tenth, the FHO duo sandwiching Storm Stacey, the Starline Kawasaki rider ending up ninth having made a bright start to lead through the first couple of corners.

Elsewhere, after his stellar performance at Thruxton, Charlie Nesbitt suffered a painful end to his weekend with a heavy accident off the Mountain.