The 1981 NatWest Trophy was an English limited overs county cricket tournament which was held between 11 July and 5 September 1981.
[1] 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.
The seventeen first-class counties were joined by five Minor Counties: Cheshire, Durham, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire and Suffolk.
The winners in the second round then progressed to the quarter-final stage.