Johns made his first-class debut for Victoria in a match against the touring English team in March 1895.

[4] A wicket-keeper and left-handed batsman, he toured with the Australian national team to England twice, in 1896 and 1899, without playing in a Test Match.

[5] Unusually for an Australian player, over half of Johns' first-class matches were played in England rather than Australia.

[5] Johns returned early from the 1899 tour of England when his father died, and retired from cricket immediately.

Tom Horan wrote at the time that Johns was the best wicket-keeper Australia had ever had, apart from Jack Blackham.