STRATHDALE-Maristians captain Linton Jacobs has praised the fighting spirit of his side after the Suns fought back from a disastrous start to beat Bendigo United in the Bendigo District Cricket Association grand final.At tea on Saturday after Jacobs had won the toss and batted first at Harry Trott Oval, the Suns looked headed for a third grand final defeat in as many years when they went to the break at 6-72.But as has been the case so often this season, the Suns’ renowned batting depth again proved pivotal as the side recovered from what loomed as a batting disaster to post a match-winning total of 9-241.The fightback was led by an 83-run partnership between Ben DeAraugo and Andrew Chalkley for the seventh wicket.Chalkley made 48 off 84 balls, while DeAraugo was the grand final hero as he amassed an unbeaten 86 in an innings that will go down in BDCA folklore.As well as Chalkley and DeAraugo, the Suns’ No.9, 10 and 11 batsmen – Ryan Haythorpe, Braden Hocking and Jacob DeAraugo – combined for 41 runs.“Yesterday when we were six-for at tea we were really in trouble, and we probably could have been bowled out for under 100 and it could have been over on the first day,’’ said Jacobs, who was among five Suns’ wickets to fall in the first 30 overs on Saturday when he was bowled by Miggy Podosky for 10.“But we showed some real character and determination to fight back the way we did.“Ben DeAraugo’s knock will go down in history as just magnificent.“And Andrew Chalkley was brave in the way he batted by trying to score and not go into his shell, despite the situation we were in.“Hocking, Haythorpe and Jacob (DeAraugo) contributing in the end was really important, too.“To get 240 when maybe at one stage we were only looking at 130 was a great effort by the boys.“240 wins more grand finals than it loses, and we knew today when we turned up that if we weren’t taking wickets we needed to keep it tight.’’The Suns did both with the ball yesterday.Inside the first hour the Redbacks’ three leading run-scorers this season in Heath Behrens, Andrew Powell and Clint Prime were all out, while the Suns conceded just 31 runs off their first 20 overs.Ben DeAraugo took two of the early wickets – Prime and Powell – while Hocking picked up the key scalp of grand final specialist Behrens in the eighth over, which left the Redbacks 2-10.“When you get wickets it’s hard to score, and from there we were able to keep the pressure on,’’ Jacobs said.Yesterday’s victory was Strathdale-Maristians’ first premiership since 1995.Since then the Suns had been beaten in grand finals in 1998, 2001, 2004, 2009 and 2010, with Jacobs having been a member of three of those losing grand final teams, including last year when the Suns were beaten by one run by Bendigo United.“Ben (DeAraugo), Dom (Taylor) and I had played in three losing grand finals before this, and we’re all good mates, so it’s great for the club that we’ve finally been able to get over the line,’’ Jacobs said.Meanwhile, yesterday’s win followed a tough week for Jacobs after his grandfather, Norm, passed away last Wednesday. The Suns wore black armbands in the grand final.“It has been hard on the family, but he would have wanted us to get on with the job this weekend,’’ Jacobs said.“It was good to have all my relations here... it’s a very special day.’’