Yorkshire won the County Championship in the 1898 English cricket season, thus giving them their second title in three years, and it was an emphatic one. No one came close to their record of 16 wins in 26 games, and seven draws also helped them along to the Championship victory. Middlesex finished second after two wins over Kent in late August, to improve five places on their 1897 finish, while Derbyshire broke their streak of 22 Championship matches without defeat by beating Hampshire in late May.