The proud Scots had prayed for a fairytale in the pool on night one of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. It duly arrived, although it wasn't the one everybody had been expecting.

Michael Jamieson may not be a global name but the London silver medallist had become one of the posters boys in the lead-up to the Games. He was a white-hot favourite to salute at the Tollcross Pool and there was strong chat the 200m breaststroke world record was under threat.

For Jamieson, a smooth-talking, ultra-marketable charmer from which to hang these Games, all of the stars had aligned. The Olympic champion and world record holder, Hungary's Daniel Gyurta, wasn't competing. Jamieson was in home water, swimming in the same pool he used to train. All boxes were ticked and expectations were high.

By the time he dived into the water, the Scottish anthem had already been played once, with Hannah Miley winning the first final of the night when she surged home in the women's 400m individual medley. It seemed a certainty that Jamieson would soon join her on top of the podium.

Countryman Ross Murdoch forgot to read the script. The 20-year-old upstaged his more fancied rival, leading throughout the race to take the gold medal in a stunning upset. Everyone had expected Jamieson to close out hard but Murdoch just went further and further ahead.

Jamieson would have to settled for silver again, a bitter pill given his desire to make this one count. He had repeatedly called this the most important race of his life and such was his drive to lower the mark he had the world record - 2:07.01 - written on his alarm clock, so it was the first thing he would see every morning.

But 2:08.40 was the best Jamieson could muster, as Murdoch set his second Commonwealth record of the day with a swim of 2:07.30, just three tenths off the world mark.

"I'm obviously gutted. I came here to win. I've had unbelieveable support since London. But Ross deserves to win tonight. He's been swimming world class times all season. I hope he enjoys his moment because he's had a hell of a day," Jamieson said.

"I don't know what I would have changed. I've done all I could to prepare for this."

Murdoch was stunned at the breakthrough as he relegated his swimming idol to bridesmaid at a major meet once again.

"I'm lost for words. I never really thought that would be a reality. I can't really explain how it feels, having that many people cheering you on. It's something I'll remember for the rest of my life," Murdoch said.

"It was a fantastic swim. He's still an idol of mine. It's hard when you're put up against someone as prestigious as him. To stand up against the more experienced man tonight was nervewracking. It was about holding my nerve and I did."

Miley, who finished fifth in London, was reduced to tears on the podium as she collected her gold. In the end, Scotland got the result it craved to energise their Games, even if the names may have changed.