Former Oxfordshire cricketer Iain Henderson secured a major title in another sport when he captured the prestigious President's Putter at Rye on the Sussex coast.

Henderson, who plays off a handicap of 0.7, beat former winner Steve Seaman 2 & 1 in a close final to secure his first success in this tournament for former Oxford and Cambridge Blues.

"I'm thrilled as it's been an ambition of mine to win," said a delighted Henderson, who had reached the quarter-finals in three of the previous four years.

"I've been working very hard on my technique in recent years and learning how to win, and this stood me in good stead in the awkward conditions," added the 36-year-old housemaster at Wellington College, Berkshire.

Henderson, who is a member of both The Berkshire and Rye clubs, was never headed in the final, and but for some short missed putts in mid-round, might have won more comfortably.

"The wind made putting very difficult on the quick greens, that's why I was delighted to hole awkward four-footers at both the 13th and 14th hole, which I felt were the turning points of the round."

Trailing two down with four to play, Seaman, a three-handicapper from Highgate, won the 15th, via the 18th green, but Henderson holed from 20 feet for a birdie at the 17th to seal his triumph.

Previous winners of the President's Putter include top golf course architect Donald Steel (three times), ex-England cricket captain Ted Dexter (twice) and legendary amateur golfers, Gerald Micklem, Leonard Crawley and Roger Wethered.

Although captain of the Oxford University golf team in 1989, Henderson was then more interested in cricket in which he also won a Blue.

An away swinging med- ium-pace bowler with an athletic action, he played 21 first class matches for the Dark Blues from 1987-90 and then represented the Cowley St John and Oxford clubs until the mid-nineties.

He played a handful of games for Oxfordshire in the early 1990s, before turning his attention to golf.

"While at Oxford University I wasn't a great golfer, but I've worked very hard at my game over the years."

As master in charge of golf, he manages to practice at Wellington's nine-hole course.

He still retains his links with Oxford and comes from a strong sporting family.

He is married to former Oxfordshire tennis player Cressida Evans, who also teaches at the school.

She is the daughter of Lynn Evans, Oxfordshire's rugby development officer and coach of Chinnor.