Fellow opening batsman Jamie How, who wouldn't have been far behind for kudos after top scoring with 57, wouldn't have slumped to the ground in despair.
The Somerset county allrounder had helped dismiss Firebirds danger man Matthew Pollard with a brilliant catch at point and his never-say-die attitude denied the hosts a boundary a ball width from the rope.
"We began well but the small things didn't go our way," Malan lamented from Hamilton where CD are to switch back to the four-day Plunket Shield mode against the Northern Districts Knights at Seddon Park from tomorrow.
"We made some wrong decisions under pressure and in the shorter format of cricket that can cost you big time," he said after the five-wicket loss that leaves the Stags win-less after two T20 matches and a shield one.
The mixture of youth and pressure often yields "silly errors".
"We have to get used to the big stage a bit more," Malan says, adding in both the T20 games - the first one was washed out against the Canterbury Wizards without a ball bowled - CD had executed well with entry and exit plans.
Adjusting to the glare of TV is equally vital.
Veteran Jacob Oram came in at the expense of Ben Wheeler (12th man) while Doug Bracewell, after serving a T20 match suspension for a boozy night with the Otago Volts in Hamilton the previous Friday night, displaced seamer Andrew Mathieson.
Oram has been brought in more as a death bowler than a batsman, thus the elevation of Bracewell and other youngsters such as Will Young and Ben Smith.
"Dougie's someone who needs a challenge and we knew he's a clean hitter of the ball so that's why he was promoted to No 4.
"Jake's a quality cricketer ... so it's great to have him in the shed with seven more HRV Cup games coming up," Malan says.
Captain Kieran Noema Barnett is out of the next two first-class games for the defending shield champions.
"He's received six stitches to the webbing of his thumb and index finger on the right hand and will probably be out for 14 to 18 days, depending on how quickly his injury heals."
Legspinner Tarun Nethula is out with a torn ankle ligament after failing the fitness test for tomorrow's four-dayer.
T20 bowler Marty Kain has returned to Nelson with spinner Ajaz Patel replacing Nethula.
With Noema-Barnett out, Black Cap batsman Ross Taylor will shuffle into the middle order while speed merchant Adam Milne also comes back from the tour of the sub-continent.
Malan has called in Nelson's Greg Hay who will be the 12th man tomorrow while former skipper How will captain the Stags.
Suffice it to say ND will want veteran ex-Black Cap skipper Daniel Vettori to carry on his rich vein since returning from surgery and have all their internationals available.
Teams for tomorrow's shield game:
ND KNIGHTS (possible): Daniel Flynn (c), Brad Wilson, Daryl Mitchell, Corey Anderson, BJ Watling (wk), Daniel Vettori, Scott Kuggeleijn, Ish Sodhi, Graeme Aldridge, James Baker, Tim Southee, Trent Boult.
CD STAGS: Jamie How (c), Peter Trego, Carl Cachopa, William Young, Ross Taylor, Kruger van Wyk, Ben Smith, Doug Bracewell, Ajaz Patel, Adam Milne, Ben Wheeler, Greg Hay (12th man).
