As the village cricket team prepares for its annual match against rivals Hambleston Indian doctor Chandraty steps in as its captain to the annoyance of bigoted club secretary Peter Wallander, who also suspects that loutish Vince Lennon, the team's star bowler and adopted son of academic Jane Milton is having an affair with his young wife . Lennon is murdered and turns out to have been blackmailing several of the villagers whilst an ancient law states that the team's defeat could lead to the new squire of Hambleston, parvenu Max Scullion, acquiring the cricket ground for sale to property developers. For Father Brown and Lady Felicia there is a double task - to solve the murder and save the cricket pitch.

Whilst Father Brown is visiting the Upcott seminary for trainee priests young student Thomas Potts confesses to him that the recent drowning of his friend Douglas Hitchens was no accident before he plunges to his death from the bell tower. Father Brown suspects foul play but is blocked by the sinister Father Lewis and so, with the connivance of the elderly rector Father Palfreyman, sends Sid in undercover to pose as a trainee. He soon learns of the Secret Fraternity, an elite group of students, and believes that they are covering something up - but which of them is a murderer?

A mysterious visitor to the confession box informs Father Brown that choleric Bishop Talbot will be murdered so Father Brown joins Talbot at a shooting party where a shot is indeed fired though the victim is the seemingly innocent Albert Davies. The bishop had argued with actor Peter Redhill over his divorce and there is certainly intrigue among Redhill and his fellow players whilst the bishop seems to inexplicably own a large collection of banned plays. In his investigation the father finds that the play's the thing and also uncovers a bizarre pact.