That seems to be the case, with lots of mysterious sightings. But it turns out he's the old caretaker who lives next door, who's been creeping around at night trying to get the the bottom of strange noises heard in the walls and a seemingly haunted cricket ball that moves around although no-one has been near it. After much sleuthing by the hero and caretaker it is eventually resoved that the "ghost" is actually a playful little black cat that they adopt and name Midnight. They live happily ever after.

A cricket pirate story is an idea...