The 1902 and 1903 seasons were the only ones between 1895 and 1934 in which Barnes did not play league cricket. He played in 22 first-class matches in 1902, taking 95 wickets at an average of 21.56 with a best analysis of six for 39 and one match in which he took 10 wickets. He is listed well down the national averages and his overall performance bears moderate comparison with that of, for example, Wilfred Rhodes who took 213 wickets at 13.15 with five ten-wicket matches. In 1903, Barnes made 24 appearances and took 131 wickets at 17.85. He was ninth of those bowlers who took 100 wickets; his best analysis was eight for 37 and he had three ten-wicket matches. 1903 was the only season in which Barnes took 100 wickets in an English first-class season, although he did capture 104 wickets in South Africa in 1913–14.