During his time at Camborne, he represented Cornwall at both cricket and rugby and took the opportunity of the long summer holiday to attend big matches at Lord's and The Oval to pick up tips on technique from the best players.

[2] Keeping wicket to the South African leg-spin quartet of Faulkner, Schwarz, Vogler and White, he stumped a higher proportion of his victims than any other wicketkeeper with over 20 dismissals.

In his first Test match, he led South Africa to their first victory in Tests when they beat England by one wicket in Johannesburg in January 1906, scoring 22 not out in a match-winning last-wicket partnership of 48 with Dave Nourse.

E. W. Swanton called this golden age of South African cricket the "Sherwell era".

He also played rugby union for Cornwall and was an international-class hockey player.