# 1981 Benson & Hedges Cup

The 1981 Benson & Hedges Cup was the tenth edition of cricket's Benson & Hedges Cup.
The competition was won by Somerset County Cricket Club.

## Fixtures and results
### Group stage
#### Group A

| Team | Pld | W | L | NR | A | Pts | BowSR |
| Nottinghamshire | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 35.472 |
| Leicestershire | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 40.952 |
| Northamptonshire | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 34.095 |
| Gloucestershire | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 38.480 |
| Worcestershire | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 69.722 |

#### Group B

| Team | Pld | W | L | NR | A | Pts | BowSR |
| Yorkshire | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 34.500 |
| Warwickshire | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 34.900 |
| Derbyshire | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 36.731 |
| Lancashire | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 46.900 |
| Scotland | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 61.500 |

#### Group C

| Team | Pld | W | L | NR | A | Pts | BowSR |
| Kent | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 29.824 |
| Somerset | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 41.094 |
| Essex | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 37.871 |
| Glamorgan | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 26.875 |
| Oxford and Cambridge Universities | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 72.000 |

#### Group D

| Team | Pld | W | L | NR | A | Pts | BowSR |
| Sussex | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 29.259 |
| Surrey | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 36.889 |
| Minor Counties | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 31.600 |
| Middlesex | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 36.333 |
| Hampshire | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 40.958 |

### Quarter-finals

* 24, 25, 26 June 1981 (scorecard)
| Kent 193/8 (50 overs) | v | Warwickshire 179 all out (49.1 overs) |
| Chris Tavaré 76 Anton Ferreira 3/38 (10 overs) | | Andy Lloyd 60 John Shepherd 3/24 (10 overs) |
* Kent won by 14 runs Kennington Oval, London Umpires: Sam Cook & Tom Spencer Player of the match: Chris Tavaré (Kent)
* No play on scheduled day or first reserve day. The match was moved from Canterbury to The Oval on the third day as the former was waterlogged
* 24 June 1981 (scorecard)
| Surrey 226/7 (55 overs) | v | Nottinghamshire 179 all out (49.4 overs) |
| Roger Knight 70 Clive Rice 2/32 (11 overs) | | Derek Randall 62 Robin Jackman 4/24 (9.4 overs) |
* Surrey won by 47 runs Trent Bridge, Nottingham Umpires: Ron Aspinall & Ken Palmer Player of the match: Roger Knight (Surrey)
* 24, 25 June 1981 (scorecard)
| Sussex 196/9 (55 overs) | v | Leicestershire 199/6 (54.1 overs) |
| Paul Phillipson 59 Gordon Parsons 2/22 (10 overs) | | Chris Balderstone 67 John Barclay 3/34 (11 overs) |
* Leicestershire won by 4 wickets County Ground, Hove Umpires: David Evans & Roy Palmer Player of the match: Paul Phillipson (Sussex)
* Reserve day used. Sussex were 84/5 (28 overs) at the close of the first day's play
* 24 June 1981 (scorecard)
| Yorkshire 221/9 (55 overs) | v | Somerset 223/7 (53.5 overs) |
| John Hampshire 58 Joel Garner 3/33 (11 overs) | | Brian Rose 68 Neil Hartley 2/33 (11 overs) |
* Somerset won by 3 wickets Headingley, Leeds Umpires: David Halfyard & Don Oslear Player of the match: Brian Rose (Somerset)

### Semi-finals

* 8 July 1981 (scorecard)
| Kent 154 all out (52.1 overs) | v | Somerset 157/5 (48.3 overs) |
| Chris Tavaré 44 Ian Botham 3/23 (10 overs) | | Peter Roebuck 51* Derek Underwood 2/15 (11 overs) |
* Somerset won by 5 wickets County Ground, Taunton Umpires: Arthur Jepson & Ray Julian Player of the match: Nigel Popplewell (Somerset)
* 8 July 1981 (scorecard)
| Surrey 191/9 (55 overs) | v | Leicestershire 188 all out (54.5 overs) |
| Graham Roope 55* Andy Roberts 2/27 (11 overs) | | John Steele 39 Ian Payne 3/20 (11 overs) |
* Surrey won by 3 runs Kennington Oval, London Umpires: Bill Alley & Peter Wight Player of the match: Ian Payne (Surrey)

### Final

* 25 July 1981 (scorecard)
| Surrey 194/8 (55 overs) | v | Somerset 197/3 (44.3 overs) |
| Roger Knight 92 Joel Garner 5/14 (11 overs) | | Viv Richards 132* Sylvester Clarke 1/24 (8 overs) |
* Somerset won by 7 wickets Lord's, London Umpires: Dickie Bird & Barrie Meyer Player of the match: Viv Richards (Somerset)