 He was one of the 14 players chosen in 1927 by the New Zealand cricket historian Tom Reese as the best New Zealand cricketers before the First World War.As well as cricket, which Barton played for 40 years, he also excelled at lawn tennis, representing Auckland at the New Zealand Championships in December 1887.He was the inaugural winner of the Auckland Tennis Championship in 1886, and won again in 1888.