The host nation, needing a win, missed out on a place in the Super Sixes by a single run after a torrential downpour brought their match with Sri Lanka in Durban to a premature end.

According to the Duckworth-Lewis method the "par" score was 229, which meant the honours and the points were shared.

"(Mark) Boucher had been given a message of 229 and so he was pretty happy once we'd got that," said Pollock.

"But, you know, it's a difficult one too. If we'd known we were going to stop after that over, it's a different kettle of fish.

"You can look at all the ifs and buts but at the end of the day it doesn't really help much."

It is not the first time South Africa have suffered such misfortune - they were knocked out at the semifinal stage of the 1999 tournament after finishing level with Australia.

And in 1992, when South Africa made their World Cup debut, a previous rain-rule had left them needing an impossible 22 runs off the final over in the semifinal against England.

Pollock said: "It's got to rank up there as possibly the most disappointing thing.

"Two ties in the last two World Cups and out of both of them. The players are gutted, I felt we deserved better on the day."

South Africa had been set a daunting 269 for victory by Sri Lanka in Durban after a thrilling partnership between Marvan Atapattu and Aravinda de Silva

The pair put on 152 runs for the fourth wicket, Atapattu scoring 124 off 129 balls and de Silva making 73 runs.

In response the hosts set off at pace courtesy of Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs.

But a string of quick wickets saw their hopes fade before a 63-run partnership between Shaun Pollock and Mark Boucher turned the tide of the game.