1801 English cricket season

Honours

• Most runs – Robert Robinson 141
• Most wickets – Lord Frederick Beauclerk 13

  Events

• Marylebone Cricket Club made revisions to the Laws of Cricket which were republished in their entirety.
• Thomas Boxall published the earliest known instructional book on cricket called Rules and Instructions for Playing at the Game of Cricket.
• Cricket was by now feeling the impact of Great Britain's war against the Napoleonic Empire through a loss of investment which drastically reduced the number of first-class matches. Only four matches are recognised as first-class in 1801:
• * 18 May — MCC v Thursday Club @ Lord's Old Ground
• * 24–25 June — All-England v Surrey @ Lord's Old Ground
• * 6–7 July — W Turner's XI v T Mellish's XI @ Lord's Old Ground
• * 20–21 July — All-England v Surrey @ Lord's Old Ground
• William Lambert made his first-class debut playing for Surrey against All-England at Lord's on 20 July. He became "one of the most successful cricketers that has ever yet appeared, excelling as he did in batting, bowling, fielding, keeping wicket, and also single wicket playing".

  Debutants

• Henry Burrows
• William Lambert
• Thomas Onslow