# 1981 NatWest Trophy

The 1981 NatWest Trophy was an English limited overs county cricket tournament which was held between 11 July and 5 September 1981. It was the first NatWest Trophy since being renamed from the Gillette Cup. The tournament was won by Derbyshire who defeated Northamptonshire 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 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.

### First round

* 11 July 1981 (scorecard)
| Cheshire 137 all out (42.5 overs) | v | Hampshire 138/4 (41 overs) |
| Mudassar Nazar 32 Steve Malone 5/34 (10.5 overs) | | Gordon Greenidge 56 Mudassar Nazar 2/26 (10 overs) |
* Hampshire won by 6 wickets County Ground, Southampton Umpires: Sam Cook & Peter Stevens Player of the match: Gordon Greenidge (Hampshire)
* 11 July 1981 (scorecard)
| Essex 306/8 (60 overs) | v | Hertfordshire 115 all out (39.1 overs) |
| Graham Gooch 101 Michael Dunn 2/43 (12 overs) | | Alan Garofall 26 Ray East 2/5 (4.1 overs) |
* Essex won by 191 runs Hitchin Town Cricket Club Ground, Hitchin Umpires: Bob Herman & David Shepherd Player of the match: Graham Gooch (Essex)
* 11 July 1981 (scorecard)
| Gloucestershire 246/8 (60 overs) | v | Ireland 75 all out (45.5 overs) |
| Andy Stovold 70 (107) Simon Corlett 3/43 (12 overs) | | Ivan Anderson 26 (96) David Graveney 5/11 (9.5 overs) |
* Gloucestershire won by 171 runs Castle Avenue, Dublin Umpires: Barrie Meyer & Terry Spencer Player of the match: Andy Stovold (Gloucestershire)
* 11 July 1981 (scorecard)
| Yorkshire 222/6 (60 overs) | v | Kent 223/4 (57.2 overs) |
| John Hampshire 63 Chris Cowdrey 4/41 (12 overs) | | Chris Tavaré 118 Chris Old 2/33 (11 overs) |
* Kent won by 6 wickets St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Umpires: Ray Julian & Roy Palmer Player of the match: Chris Tavaré (Kent)
* 11, 13 July 1981 (scorecard)
| Durham 187 all out (55.4 overs) | v | Lancashire 190/2 (51.5 overs) |
| Steve Atkinson 80 (130) Paul Allott 3/22 (10.4 overs) | | Andrew Kennedy 102* (150) Peter Kippax 2/35 (12 overs) |
* Lancashire won by 8 wickets Old Trafford, Manchester Umpires: Ron Aspinall & Jack van Geloven Player of the match: Andrew Kennedy (Lancashire)
* Match was scheduled for one day but extended to two.
* 11 July 1981 (scorecard)
| Oxfordshire 150 all out (59.2 overs) | v | Glamorgan 154/2 (44.1 overs) |
| Mike Nurton 70 Malcolm Nash 5/31 (12 overs) | | Rodney Ontong 53* Derek Gallop 2/39 (12 overs) |
* Glamorgan won by 8 wickets Christ Church Ground, Oxford Umpires: Barrie Leadbeater & Derek Shackleton Player of the match: Mike Nurton (Oxfordshire)
* 11 July 1981 (scorecard)
| Derbyshire 270/6 (60 overs) | v | Suffolk 99 all out (46.3 overs) |
| David Steele 89 Richard Robinson 3/59 (12 overs) | | Stuart Westley 28 Colin Tunnicliffe 2/7 (7 overs) |
* Derbyshire won by 171 runs Victory Ground, Bury St Edmunds Umpires: Peter Eele & Arthur Jepson Player of the match: David Steele (Derbyshire)

### Second round

* 22 July 1981 (scorecard)
| Hampshire 176/7 (60 overs) | v | Glamorgan 146 all out (55.5 overs) |
| Trevor Jesty 67 Steve Barwick 4/14 (9 overs) | | Javed Miandad 64 Keith Stevenson 3/24 (12 overs) |
* Hampshire won by 30 runs Sophia Gardens, Cardiff Umpires: Bill Alley & David Halfyard Player of the match: Trevor Jesty (Hampshire)
* 22 July 1981 (scorecard)
| Essex 207 all out (59.2 overs) | v | Gloucestershire 85 all out (42 overs) |
| Alan Lilley 40 David Graveney 3/25 (12 overs) | | Stephen Windaybank 18 Norbert Phillip 3/12 (9 overs) |
* Essex won by 122 runs County Ground, Bristol Umpires: Dickie Bird & Peter Eele Player of the match: David East (Essex)
* 22 July 1981 (scorecard)
| Kent 154 all out (56.3 overs) | v | Nottinghamshire 156/6 (56.3 overs) |
| Mark Benson 35 Clive Rice 3/21 (10 overs) | | Richard Hadlee 38* Kevin Jarvis 2/23 (11 overs) |
* Nottinghamshire won by 4 wickets St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Umpires: Sam Cook & Alan Whitehead Player of the match: Richard Hadlee (Nottinghamshire)
* 22 July 1981 (scorecard)
| Lancashire 231/8 (60 overs) | v | Middlesex 189 all out (48.3 overs) |
| David Lloyd 81 Wayne Daniel 4/28 (12 overs) | | Wilf Slack 53 Neal Radford 3/20 (10.3 overs) |
* Lancashire won by 42 runs Old Trafford, Manchester Umpires: Ron Aspinall & Ray Julian Player of the match: David Lloyd (Lancashire)
* 22 July 1981 (scorecard)
| Somerset 202 all out (59.4 overs) | v | Northamptonshire 204/3 (53.1 overs) |
| Nigel Popplewell 57 Sarfraz Nawaz 3/29 (12 overs) | | Wayne Larkins 59 Joel Garner 1/32 (12 overs) |
* Northamptonshire won by 7 wickets County Ground, Northampton Umpires: Barrie Leadbeater & Jack van Geloven Player of the match: Geoff Cook (Northamptonshire)
* 22, 23, 24 July 1981 (scorecard)
| Leicestershire 261 all out (60 overs) | v | Surrey 12/0 (8 overs) |
| Brian Davison 137 David Thomas 4/60 (12 overs) | | Jack Richards 8* |
* No result The Oval, London Umpires: Roy Palmer & Derek Shackleton
* Match was scheduled for one day but extended to three. Match was replaced with a 10-over match.
* 24 July 1981 (scorecard)
| Leicestershire 104/5 (10 overs) | v | Surrey 88/2 (10 overs) |
| Brian Davison 43 Sylvester Clarke 2/10 (2 overs) | | Sylvester Clarke 45* Les Taylor 1/9 (2 overs) |
* Leicestershire won by 16 runs The Oval, London Umpires: Roy Palmer & Derek Shackleton Player of the match: Brian Davison (Leicestershire)
* Match was reduced before play started to 10 overs per side.
* 22 July 1981 (scorecard)
| Sussex 274/8 (60 overs) | v | Warwickshire 150 all out (47.5 overs) |
| Ian Greig 82 Bob Willis 2/43 (12 overs) | | Asif Din 33 Ian Greig 4/31 (7.5 overs) |
* Sussex won by 124 runs Edgbaston, Birmingham Umpires: David Constant & David Shepherd Player of the match: Ian Greig (Sussex)
* 22 July 1981 (scorecard)
| Worcestershire 228 all out (60 overs) | v | Derbyshire 229/6 (58.2 overs) |
| Glenn Turner 59 Colin Tunnicliffe 5/50 (12 overs) | | Peter Kirsten 84* Norman Gifford 1/26 (12 overs) |
* Derbyshire won by 4 wickets New Road, Worcester Umpires: Bob Herman & Terry Spencer Player of the match: Peter Kirsten (Derbyshire)

### Quarter-finals

* 5 August 1981 (scorecard)
| Derbyshire 164 all out (59 overs) | v | Nottinghamshire 141 all out (50.4 overs) |
| John Wright 52 Clive Rice 3/35 (11 overs) | | Paul Todd 64 Paul Newman 3/23 (6.4 overs) |
* Derbyshire won by 23 runs County Ground, Derby Umpires: Barrie Meyer & Ken Palmer Player of the match: Paul Todd (Derbyshire)
* 5 August 1981 (scorecard)
| Hampshire 167/9 (60 overs) | v | Lancashire 169/7 (55.4 overs) |
| Nigel Cowley 38 Michael Holding 3/35 (12 overs) | | Clive Lloyd 82* Steve Malone 3/16 (10 overs) |
* Lancashire won by 3 wickets County Ground, Southampton Umpires: Bill Alley & Peter Wight Player of the match: Clive Lloyd (Lancashire)
* 5 August 1981 (scorecard)
| Leicestershire 227 all out (59.4 overs) | v | Northamptonshire 207/4 (50.5 overs) |
| Roger Tolchard 70 Jim Griffiths 3/51 (12 overs) | | Wayne Larkins 81* Les Taylor 3/39 (10.5 overs) |
* Northamptonshire won on faster scoring rate Grace Road, Leicester Umpires: Arthur Jepson & Alan Whitehead Player of the match: Wayne Larkins (Northamptonshire)
* When play was stopped Northamptonshire needed to have scored 193 runs to win.
* 5 August 1981 (scorecard)
| Essex 195/9 (60 overs) | v | Sussex 170 all out (56 overs) |
| Brian Hardie 39 Garth Le Roux 5/35 (12 overs) | | Paul Parker 45 John Lever 3/25 (10 overs) |
* Essex won by 25 runs County Ground, Hove Umpires: Lloyd Budd & David Constant Player of the match: John Lever (Essex)

### Semi-finals

* 19 August 1981 (scorecard)
| Essex 149 all out (60 overs) | v | Derbyshire 149/8 (60 overs) |
| Norbert Phillip 42 Paul Newman 3/26 (12 overs) | | Kim Barnett 59 Norbert Phillip 3/42 (12 overs) |
* Derbyshire won by losing fewer wickets County Ground, Derby Umpires: David Evans & Don Oslear Player of the match: Kim Barnett (Derbyshire)
* 19 August 1981 (scorecard)
| Lancashire 186/9 (60 overs) | v | Northamptonshire 187/9 (59.5 overs) |
| Graeme Fowler 57 Tim Lamb 3/28 (12 overs) | | Richard Williams 41 Bernard Reidy 3/22 (10 overs) |
* Northamptonshire won by 1 wicket County Ground, Northampton Umpires: Lloyd Budd & Alan Whitehead Player of the match: Tim Lamb (Northamptonshire)

### Final

* 5 September 1981 (scorecard)
| Northamptonshire 235/9 (60 overs) | v | Derbyshire 235/6 (60 overs) |
| Geoff Cook 111 Colin Tunnicliffe 2/42 (12 overs) | | John Wright 76 Neil Mallender 3/35 (10 overs) |
* Derbyshire won by losing fewer wickets Lord's, London Umpires: David Constant & Ken Palmer Player of the match: Geoff Cook (Northamptonshire)