Marcus Bent and Roque Santa Cruz both completed hat-tricks in a match which exhibited the best and worst of English football.

Had he been here, new national team boss Fabio Capello would have been left wondering what he had let himself in for.

Wigan ran riot in the first half, punishing shambolic Rovers defending through early goals from Denny Landzaat and Bent.

But, moments after Paul Scharner headed in number three, the home side lost Emile Heskey to what appeared a serious injury and simply fell apart.

Santa Cruz pulled a goal back on the stroke of half-time and completed his hat-trick just past the hour mark, moments after team-mate Brett Emerton was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Wigan eventually made the extra man tell, Bent completing his own treble.

Heskey was carried off on a stretcher after being hurt in a challenge with Steven Reid, who was starting his first game for almost 16 months as Rovers boss Mark Hughes made four changes to his side.

Reid, who has been eased back following a long injury absence, was joined in midfield by Robbie Savage – returning after nearly three months out injured - while Ryan Nelsen and David Bentley were back from suspension.

Wigan drafted in Michael Brown and Ryan Taylor, who was making only his second start of the season.

The omens were not good for the Latics, who had never beaten Blackburn, losing seven of their eight meetings.

Rovers, beaten by West Ham last time out, had also lost only one league game on the road all season before today – at Old Trafford.

Yet it was the home side who made a flying start, Taylor testing Brad Friedel with a well-struck free-kick after three minutes.

The winger’s pinpoint left-wing cross then found Bent five yards out, but the striker’s chest control failed him at the vital moment.

The game was being played at a frantic pace and Santa Cruz fired Bentley’s cross over at the other end.

But Wigan deservedly went ahead in the 10th minute when a static Rovers defence allowed Landzaat to race through unchallenged onto Heskey’s flick before beating Friedel low to his left for his second goal in a week.

Two minutes later and more shocking defending saw Bent completely out-muscle Nelsen, leaving him on the deck before firing across Friedel and into the net.

Santa Cruz poked one narrowly wide as Wigan’s own defensive frailties surfaced.

Rovers were then handed a lifeline by a controversial penalty decision after 22 minutes.

From a corner, referee Mark Clattenburg decided Heskey had manhandled Chris Samba and pointed to the spot.

However, Benni McCarthy saw his effort brilliantly turned behind by Chris Kirkland, diving low to his right.

Gaps in Blackburn’s defence were appearing all over the place and Bent was thwarted by a good block from the out-of-sorts Samba.

Heskey was giving the defender a torrid time and earned the free-kick through which Wigan scored their third.

Taylor curled it in from the left edge of the box and Scharner ran in unchallenged to power home a header.

On this form, Heskey might have expected to be one of the first names in Fabio Capello’s England squad.

But his afternoon was over when the game restarted, Julius Aghahowa coming on to replace him for his first appearance in almost three months.

Santa Cruz then pulled a goal back in first-half stoppage-time when his stunning volley from the edge of the box flew into the net.

His first-half strike became even more crucial five minutes into the second period when the Paraguayan made it 3-2.

Wigan failed to deal with Emerton’s right-wing cross, which cannoned off Reid and eventually fell for Santa Cruz to volley home from point-blank range.

Aghahowa then scuffed Bent’s knockdown wide as Wigan awoke from their slumber.

Their task became easier in the 57th minute when Emerton was shown his second yellow card of the game for scything down Taylor.

Only frantic Rovers defending saw the home side fail to turn in the resulting free-kick.

Completing the comeback now looked an impossible task for the visitors but Santa Cruz had other ideas.

Given the freedom of the penalty area just past the hour mark, he completed his first Rovers hat-trick by nodding in Stephen Warnock’s left-wing cross.

There was no let-up, Bent putting the home side back in front in the 66th minute when he stole in to head home Antonio Valencia’s cross.

With less than 20 minutes remaining, Samba got forward to nod Bentley’s lofted cross wide.

Santa Cruz was nearly the hero again when he headed over a corner from six yards.

But with less than 10 minutes remaining, Bent completed his own treble to surely end Rovers’ resistance.

Valencia’s ball caught out the visiting defence once again and Aghahowa raced clear before squaring for his partner to tap into an empty net.

Santa Cruz refused to yield and almost made it 5-4 in a goalmouth scramble.