The defeat means Pakistan, who beat Bangladesh by five wickets in the game that followed at the Adelaide Oval, leapfrog the Proteas and progress with India, who have qualified courtesy of South Africa’s defeat.
After a tournament packed full of surprises, this stunning result is possibly the biggest shock of them all.
South Africa were seen as one of the tournament favourites while Netherlands are the lowest-ranked side in the Super 12 stage.
“We played well up until this point in the tournament,” captain Temba Bavuma said.
“Again, we faltered when it really mattered. It will be a hard one to swallow.
“At the end of the day it just was not good enough.”
