 Transvaal challenged Kimberley for the Currie Cup in 1890 , the first such challenge for the trophy . A number of the team selections were controversial : the selection committee for Transvaal chose Aubrey Smith and Monty Bowden , both of whom had remained in South Africa after touring as part of the England cricket team the previous year , and Charlie Finlason , who played the majority of his cricket for the opposition Kimberley team . Finlason , a newspaper journalist , had fallen out with Smith after writing a number of articles criticising him and the English side . When Finlason was selected for Transvaal , Smith — who was captaining the side — made him bat at number eleven . 
