New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming believes he has a good chance of recovering from a mysterious viral illness in time for the first Test against Australia next Thursday, but was by no means a certainty.

The doubt over Fleming was a second blow for the Kiwis, who suffered an embarrassing nine-wicket loss to New South Wales on Sunday in the touring side's only warm-up match before the first Test in Brisbane.

Fleming returned from his team's tour of Bangladesh with the illness, and has been sleeping up to 20 hours a day. He did not leave New Zealand until Saturday to join teammates in Sydney.

"I will leave it pretty late, but I will give (coach) John (Bracewell) and the team pretty honest indications the entire way through," Fleming told a news conference in Sydney.

"A lot depends on how I practice. Not so much the quality of how I practice but the fatigue through practice and how I feel two or three hours after."

The 31-year-old Fleming averages 39.75 in his 87 Tests. However, his shrewd tactics helped the Kiwis hold the top-ranked Test side to a 0-0 drawn three-Test series in Australia in 2001-02.

"A number of our players haven't experienced a Test match in Australia," Fleming said.

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"That's why, being an experienced player over here, it was important to get back but I would not jeopardise (the team) if I was not right.

"As captain, I've got concerns, the team's got concerns, but I'm extremely excited about the opportunity (to play Australia).

"One-on-one we're no match for Australia but we've always been at our best when we've got that team dynamic."

NINE-WICKET LOSS

Phil Jaques made 70 in an unbroken partnership of 100 for the second wicket with Matthew Phelps, who was unbeaten on 39, as New South Wales reached 129 for one on Sunday.

New South Wales had resumed on the final day's play in the four-day tour match at Sydney Cricket Ground on 25 for no wicket.

They lost opener Greg Mail for 13 with the score on 29 but were untroubled to score the additional 100 runs required.

Australia Test discard Stuart MacGill completed match figures of 8-109 on Saturday as New Zealand's batting line-up collapsed for 201, setting New South Wales a modest target to win.

New Zealand will assemble in Brisbane on Monday to prepare for the two-Test series against captain Ricky Ponting's Australia. The second Test is in Adelaide from November 26-30.