Tournament format(s) Knockout Participants 23 | Matches played 22 | |
Administrator(s) England and Wales Cricket Board Cricket format Limited overs cricket(60 overs per innings) | ||
The 1981 NatWest Trophy was the first NatWest Trophy since its renaming from the Gillette Trophy. It was an English limited overs county cricket tournament which was held between 11 July and 5 September 1981. The tournament was won by Derbyshire County Cricket Club who defeated Northamptonshire County Cricket Club by means of losing fewer wickets following a tie in the final at Lord's.
Format
The seventeen first-class counties, were joined by five Minor Counties: Cheshire, Durham, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire and Suffolk. The Ireland national cricket team also participated. Teams who won in the first round progressed to the second round. The winners in the second round then progressed to the quarter-final stage. Winners from the quarter-finals then progressed to the semi-finals from which the winners then went on to the final at Lord's which was held on 5 September 1981.