Even in British Guiana his role as a practice bowler resulted in him being classed as a Professional and hence excluded from the Inter-Colonial Tournament.

He sufficiently impressed in British Guiana to be selected for the 1900 tour to England even though he had not played a single important match.

[1] On the tour he was second in the bowling averages marginally behind Float Woods and leading wicket taker with 78.

Though Woods headed him by the merest fraction in the bowling analyses, it was pretty generally admitted that Burton on the whole accomplished the best work".

No reason for this is given in contemporary publications but it is reported that his tour "ended in acrimony when he was sent home after refusing to carry out menial duties for white members of the side.

The issue seems to have been hushed up since in 1913 the editor of 'Cricket' remarks that "for some reason unknown to me, was dropped after the first few matches".

He was not as fast a bowler as Float Woods or Archie Cumberbatch but was certainly more accurate and used a clever variation of pace.