The 1981 English cricket season was the 82nd in which the County Championship had been an official competition.
A change of sponsorship ended the Gillette Cup and the knockout competition became the NatWest Trophy, which lasted for twenty years.
Nottinghamshire won a close struggle for the County Championship title, defeating Sussex by two points.
The second tour of England by the Sri Lankan team took place in 1981.
In their other two games, the Sri Lankans won one and lost one.