The Dutch posted 158-4 betting first, with Stephan Myburgh scoring 37 off 30 balls and Tom Cooper contributing 35 off 19. Colin Ackermann provided the late fireworks with an unbeaten 41 off 26 balls, including three fours and two sixes.

South Africa’s chase never gained momentum as Quinton de Kock (13) and captain Temba Bavuma (20) fell inside the powerplay. Rilee Rossouw top-scored with 25 off 19 balls, while Brandon Glover ripped through the middle order with figures of 3-9 in two overs.

Former Proteas spinner Roelof van der Merwe produced one of the defining moments, taking a spectacular running catch to dismiss David Miller for 17. The Proteas finished on 145-8, suffering a 13-run defeat that ended their semi-final hopes.

#OnThisDay in 2022, Roelof van der Merwe took this stunner to dismiss the in-form David Miller.

South Africa have suffered several infamous World Cup exits, but being knocked out by the Netherlands in the T20 World Cup was arguably their lowest point. https://t.co/fOwLYOY0Rj

— Cricketopia (@CricketopiaCom) November 6, 2026

The result opened the door for Pakistan, who beat Bangladesh later that day to join India in the semi-finals, leaving South Africa to reflect on another painful World Cup exit.