Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1878 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire played their eighth season. Nottinghamshire played Derbyshire again after a two-year break, joining Yorkshire Hampshire, Lancashire and Kent as the fifth county to play Derbyshire 1878 season In 1878, Derbyshire played two county games each against Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Kent and one match each against MCC and All England XI. Derbyshire won three first class matches altogether and lost eight. They also played a miscellaneous match against Uppingham. The captain for the year was Robert Smith. Of the players who made their debuts, John Richardson, a bricklayer, played intermittently over the next five years and Enoch Cook, lace maker, played eight matches over two seasons. Henry Evans, a railway clerk, appeared occasionally over the next five years. John Cartledge and Thomas Limb, a miner, played their only single career first class matches during the season. Conrad Wallroth an Oxford graduate of independent means, and William Wood-Sims, a slater, appeared for the Uppingham match, although they did not make their first-class debuts until the following season. Three players who took part in Derbyshire's first match played their last season for Derbyshire. These were Samuel Richardson, the club's first captain, William Hickton and John Smith. W G Curgenven, who was one of the founders of the club, and played his first game in 1872, also played his last match. In the opening County match against Yorkshire, Derbyshire scored 109 and Yorkshire replied with 122. Derbyshire scored 34 in the second innings with no player reaching double figures. Yorkshire lost five wickets for 22, but that was enough to give them a five wicket victory. Against MCC Derbyshire made 36 in the first innings, losing eight wickets by WG Grace. MCC made 74 in reply. Derbyshire made 118 in their second innings with 50 from Platts and MCC made the necessary 81 runs in reply with the loss of five wickets. Against Hampshire, Derbyshire made 137, and Hampshire had made 40 at the end of the first day. Hampshire had reached 74 for seven by the end of the second day, and with no play on the final day, the game ended in a draw. In the match against Lancashire, Lancashire opened with 85, Derbyshire replied with 61 and Lancashire had reached 21 in their second innings at the end of day one. Lancashire made 125 in their