Kent Kings made a superb start to the new National League season with a record-breaking 62-31 success at Scunthorpe Stags on Sunday.

It was the team’s biggest ever victory, their maiden away league win and the first time they have passed 60 points in any competition.

There was a scare in heat two when youngster Brandon Freemantle was rushed to hospital after a crash that sent him over the safety fence following a collision with Scunthorpe debutant Reece Downes.

It was the teenager’s second accident in as many meetings and the former Great Britain youth champion was fortunate to escape with just bruising.

Freemantle’s exit led to a first outing in four years for reserve Dan Blake and he responded with a career-best return of 11 points and four bonus points (11+4).

All three of Kent’s main men – captain Simon Lambert (10+2), Benji Compton (14+1) and Ben Morley (13+2) – were unbeaten.

The meeting ended a heat early after Stags’ Arron Mogridge – son of former Canterbury rider Alan – was injured in a crash with Lambert and Morley.