The 1986 John Player Special League was the eighteenth competing of what was generally known as the Sunday League. The competition was won for the third time by Hampshire County Cricket Club. Hampshire won the Sunday League away against Surrey at The Oval on 7 September after they beat them by 3 runs and Nottinghamshire lost versus Kent. The Nottinghamshire captain Clive Rice's 34 wickets for the season equalled Bob Clapp's Sunday League record. Stuart Turner the Essex all rounder reached 300 wickets in the Sunday League competition. He announced his retirement that season.