MacGibbon was a useful lower-order right-hand batsman and a right-arm fast-medium bowler who led the attack for his country for most of the 1950s.

MacGibbon played first-class cricket for Canterbury from 1947 to 1948, and was in the trial match for the 1949 New Zealand tour to England, though he was not selected.

He made his Test debut against the 1950–51 England touring team but achieved little in the two matches, making 32 runs in four innings and failing to take a wicket.

He was not much more successful in just one match against the touring South African cricket team two years later, though he did take his first Test wicket: Roy McLean.

MacGibbon retired from Test cricket after the 1958 tour, and stayed in the UK to study civil engineering at Durham University.