So complete was the defeat by seven wickets the game was over with 15.3 of the 50 overs remaining. Even attempts to get the Mexican wave rolling around a near-packed SuperSport Centurion fizzled as man of the match Jacques Kallis steered South Africa to as comprehensive victory as you are likely to get.
And the appalling thought is that both sides could meet in the final at Newlands on Wednesday after Hansie Cronje's side qualified yesterday.
The only way Sri Lanka can squeeze through is by beating South Africa at Springbok Park in Bloemfontein tomorrow in the final pool match. What it comes down to is no longer net run rate but question of match points after the Lankans hammered South Africa in Port Elizabeth on Monday.
Yet South Africa can take much credit and a certain pride in the way they routed Pakistan for 145 with 8.1 overs of their innings remaining. It was not so much a rout but a total capitulation by the Pakistanis.
With a fielding performance as near perfect as you will see in a limited-overs outing, the slog was taken out of the game. Instead we had the tight squeeze with Jonty Rhodes round off a perfect display running out Mushtaq Ahmed.
There had, already, been two quality run outs which did much to reduce what had become little more than a batting rabble to a hobbling wreck and seemingly without much pride in their performance. So when Rhodes, swooping in from backward point snaffled the ball and aimed at the wickets, the sight of the midldle stump cartwheeling had the crowd roaring.
Cronje rated the fielding a shade below that against New Zealand in the 1996 World Cup and West Indies in the Titan Cup series of 1993 in Mumbai where Rhodes took his five catches.
Yet it could have been over earlier. Steve Elworthy's fourth ball in the opening over of the match looked to be as good as shout as any for an lbw against Azhar Mahmood. Bowling with his normal tight control and getting quality late away swing, his three for 28 off nine overs constitutes his best return so far in what has been a short ODI career.
Mike Rindel may have failed with the bat, but he managed to get in his first bowling spell of the series and collected one for 23. At least he added the variety needed while Kallis, not in touch as bowler, was overlooked as an option by Cronje.
There only partnership of substance in Pakistan innings and that was 38 between Inzamam-ul-Haq and Moin Khan; as for the rest it barely surfaced above the mediocre.
And just how poor their efforts were emerged when South Africa, without real pressure, batted with care and attention, feeding the balls into the gaps, showing up an already bumbling Pakistan fielding performance.
When Gary Kirsten and Kallis put together 65 for the second wicket the tourists gave the impression they had already lost interest in the game. They are, no doubt, hoping South Africa are going to turn it on again when they meet Sri Lanka in Blomfontein tomorrow.