The Derbyshire County Cricket Club had been playing for one hundred and sixteen years by the 1986 cricket season. That year they won five matches to finish eleventh in their eighty-second season in the County Championship. They came ninth in the John Player League and reached round 2 in the National Westminster Bank Trophy. They reached the quarter-final of the Benson & Hedges Cup.
Derbyshire played twenty-four matches in the County Championship and one against the touring New Zealanders. They won five first class matches overall all in the championship. They won seven and lost nine matches in the Sunday league. After winning all their matches in Group A, Derbyshire went through to the quarter-final of the Benson & Hedges Cup.
Kim Barnett was in his third season as captain. John Morris was top scorer although Barnett scored most runs in the one-day game. Michael Holding took most wickets.
The team set a first-class record partnership for the 10th wicket during the season when Alan Hill and Martin Jean-Jacques made 132 against Yorkshire at Sheffield.