By Ian Gordon, PA Sport

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Scotland's Alison Sheppard shattered her own Commonwealth Record to blast her way in to the semi-finals of the 50metres freestyle in Manchester this morning.

The 29-year-old clocked 24.68seconds in her heat to carve 0.28secs off the record she set at the Manchester Aquatics Centre last April.

Sheppard had seen Australia's Alice Mills set a Games record in the previous heat of 25.65 but took to the pool moments later to not only obliterate that but claim a Commonwealth mark at the same time.

The Vancouver-based swimmer is favourite to take the 50m title having finished sixth in the 100m freestyle.

Sheppard was joined in the semis by England's Rosalind Brett (25.93), Sarah Whewell (26.32) and Melanie Marshall (26.34) while Wales's Catrin Davies (26.28) and Northern Ireland's Julie Douglas (26.38) also qualified.

But Sheppard's fellow Scot Samantha McNeilly (26.51) and the Welsh duo of Julia Martin (27.20) and Karla Hancocks (27.45) missed out.

Sheppard said: "I am obviously delighted to get the record.

"The plan overall was to do it in the heats and now I can just concentrate on getting the gold."