Barnes was 41 when the First World War began and so too old for military service. First-class cricket was shelved for the duration but league cricket continued and numerous top-class players including Jack Hobbs, Wilfred Rhodes and Frank Woolley signed up to play in the Bradford League. Barnes saw an advert placed by Saltaire Cricket Club in the "Athletic News" periodical and applied for the role by saying: "Will I do?" From 1915 to 1923, he played exclusively and with great success for Saltaire. The club and their ground at Roberts Park had been founded in 1871 and they joined the Bradford League in 1905. They won the league three times (1917, 1918 and 1922) while Barnes played for them. On his debut in May 1915, he took eight for eight against Bowling Old Lane and followed that with all ten for fourteen against Baildon Green, including five wickets in five successive balls. In later seasons, he took all ten against Bowling Old Lane and Keighley.