 Barton began representing Auckland soon after moving to work there.In a two-day match for Auckland against a Dunedin combined team in 1882-83, Barton opened the batting and carried his bat for 76 out of a total of 150; no one else in the match reached 35.A Dunedin cricket journalist later described Barton as "probably the finest batsman who has settled in the colony", a batsman "of uncommon brilliancy".