After he took five wickets for Manawatu against the touring MCC in 1929–30, the English players Frank Woolley and K. S. Duleepsinhji singled him out as the best bowler in New Zealand.

[2] Playing his only full season of Plunket Shield cricket in 1936–37, he took 10 wickets in three matches at an average of 23.50[3] and made 84 runs at 28.00,[4] and he was a late selection for the 1937 New Zealand tour of England when it was decided to take 15 instead of 14 players.

[7] He took three wickets and scored 32 runs in two innings, but Roberts returned for the final Test of the three-match series.

His career-best innings figures came in the match against Scotland just before the Second Test, when he took 6 for 46 and 3 for 38 to help the New Zealanders to a narrow victory.

[10] He played for Manawatu in the Hawke Cup from 1924–25 to 1946–47, taking 177 wickets at 11.59 and making 1409 runs at 32.76 in the challenge matches.