Former Australian opener Ed Cowan suffered severe headaches for almost two weeks after being struck on the helmet by a Joel Paris bouncer earlier this month.
On the same day Cricket Australia doctor Peter Brukner called for concussion tests in the sport, Cowan also admitted to feeling hazy for a number of days after the February 5 knock.
He was subsequently ruled out of the returned bout against the Warriors at the WACA, and was forced to return through Sydney grade cricket for the Blues' Sheffield Shield match against South Australia in Coffs Harbour starting Thursday.
"I was a bit dazed for a couple of days," he told AAP.
"Leading up to that game in Perth I batted in the nets and was comfortable doing that but was waking up with some bad headaches that would clear each day as the day went on."
Cowan has copped a number of head knocks in the past, but none have rattled him as much as the Paris bouncer.
"It was a bit quicker but it was dark to be honest," he said.
"There was about four overs left in the day, there were no lights at the ground.
"We had spent 150 overs in the field and the ball leapt and seamed back."
His return clash is an important one for NSW's season.
Acting as a tribute match to the late Phillip Hughes, who played for both states and grew up on the NSW north coast just 50km south of Coffs Harbour, it is bordering on must-win for both teams.
South Australia are third, six points behind second-placed Queensland, while the Blues are two points further back in fourth.
And after having drawn their past two matches, Cowan's Blues will be desperate to push for a result and vital six points.
"We're confident that in the next few weeks as the other teams start to scramble for points there will be games there to win," he said.
Queensland have been the biggest benefactor of the Warriors and Blues recent stalemates, having jumped from fifth to second on the table.
However allrounder James Hopes indicated the Bulls' rise was not finished yet as they headed to Perth for their clash with Western Australia.
"We've got to play Western Australia twice and we do play Victoria in the middle of that, so if we just win our games in hopefully we'll be able to leapfrog Victoria."
Hopes requires just 89 more runs to pass 5000 in the Sheffield Shield, while seven wickets will also push him past 300 first-class dismissals.
Elsewhere, table-topping Victoria will head to Hobart for a battle against cellar-dwellers Tasmania.
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