SHANE Watson expects his career-best unbeaten 161 will be quickly put into context when he visits his floodstricken home town of Ipswich today.

Watson inspired Australia to a six-wicket win in the first one-day international, batting through the innings to help chase down England’s 294 in Melbourne.

Watson sealed victory with a six off Ajmal Shahzad and finished with the fifth highest score by an Australia batsman in limited-overs cricket.

But afterwards the 29-yearold admitted cricket had been the furthest thing from his mind this week following the devastating effects of the Australian floods in Queensland.

The tragedy has claimed 18 lives and Watson revealed he would use a gap in the one-day schedule to fly to Ipswich, where his parents and sister still live, for the first time since the floods hit.

‘‘It’s going to be heartwrenching to see the devastation,’’ said Watson, who plans to aid the relief effort.

‘‘My mind and my heart has been there so it’s going to be nice to get up there and feel like I can actually help out in some way.

‘‘I haven’t really been thinking about cricket too much.

‘‘It’s been all about what has been going on back home and also trying to organise things I can do after this game to help out in any way I can.

‘‘I suppose it does free your mind when you are thinking about other things and does put a game of cricket into perspective.

‘‘It’s nice to be able to put on a performance like this. Hopefully there’s a few people watching it who will get some encouragement.’’ Watson will remain in Ipswich for two days before rejoining the Australia team ahead of Friday’s second match in Hobart.

Until then he plans to tour Ipswich, 30 kilometres east of Brisbane, with the town’s mayor and meet residents.

‘‘I’ve organised a sausage sizzle at a hardware store which was flooded. We are going to go around and try to lift some spirits,” he said.

Watson admitted it had been a relief to reach triple figures following a disappointing Ashes.

The opener has drawn criticism for his failure to turn starts into hundreds, but believes he will have silenced at least some of his doubters.

‘‘To get through and get 100 is going to build my confidence,’’ he said.

‘‘I got dropped once and there were a few shanks that went in the gap, so you definitely need that bit of luck to get a bigger score.

‘‘Deep down it would have been good to get a few bigger ones, or at least one big one, during the Ashes.’’