Victor Barton

Victor Alexander Barton was an English first-class cricketer, footballer, and soldier. Barton joined the Royal Artillery (RA) as a bombardier. He began his cricket representing the Royal Artillery Cricket Club, where his performances bought him to the attention of Kent, for whom he played first-class cricket for in 1889 and 1890. Kent bought him out of the RA in 1891, but he made no further appearances for the county, due to their need to prioritise the playing of amateurs over professionals like Barton. He toured South Africa in the winter that followed the 1891 season with an English team captained by Walter Read, and played in the tour's final match against South Africa, which was later retrospectively afforded Test status. Returning home to England in 1892, he joined his native county, Hampshire, who were at the time a second-class county, before they regained first-class status in 1894 and joined the County Championship in 1895. Barton played first-class cricket for the county until ill-health forced his retirement in 1902. He made over 140 first-class appearances for Hampshire, scoring over 6,000 runs and taking 130 wickets. He also had a brief football career, playing for Southampton St Mary's as a goalkeeper in the 1892-93 Hampshire Senior Cup. Barton died, aged 38, from pneumonia in March 1906.