Alan Pardew had cited Demba Ba's recent observance of Ramadan as a reason for his rather low-key start to life on Tyneside but, fortified by a pre-match meal, the Senegal striker delighted in showing his new public precisely what he is capable of.

Ba's hat-trick not only extended Newcastle United's impressive unbeaten beginning to the season but sent a Blackburn Rovers side that had arrived seeking a sixth straight win at St James' Park back across the Pennines with their manager, Steve Kean, once again facing questions about his job security.

"Our control of the game was pleasing and the speed of some of our passing and movement was very, very good," enthused Pardew, Newcastle's manager. "We've got real quality in a strong side and we're going to win more than we lose. My forwards are rising to the challenge of proving that I don't need to sign another striker and this team's starting to excite me."

Ba's opening goal, and first for Newcastle, derived from Fabricio Coloccini's perceptive long, cross-field pass, which was met by the impressive Leon Best wide on the left. Best supplied a decent cross and Ba turned Scott Dann adroitly before directing a subtly curving, perfectly weighted strike into the top corner.

Another long ball, from Danny Simpson this time, prefaced his second, Ba heading beyond Paul Robinson after Steven Taylor had nodded Simpson's lob back across goal.

Junior Hoilett was proving Blackburn's most dangerous attacker, using his deployment wide on the right to fully emphasise why Ryan Taylor is not a natural left-back.

Hoilett reduced the deficit before half-time, meeting Martin Olsson's cross from the left with an assured first touch, allowing the ball to bounce and sending a ferocious half-volley beyond a helpless Tim Krul.

With Ba completing his treble shortly after the break it proved a false dawn for Kean. Home goal number three began with Cheik Tioté's deep, angled delivery into the area. Connecting with the ball at the far post, Ba screwed a looping header goalwards and, although Best got in front of Dann, that effort had crossed the line before Best could apply a final touch.

Things got even worse for Blackburn when Olsson was sent off after receiving his second yellow card after cynically hauling Yohan Cabaye down.

Although Cabaye's customarily incisive style had been cramped courtesy of some tight man-marking by Jason Lowe, the freedom consequently granted to other members of Pardew's midfield, most notably Gabriel Obertan, ensured Kean's pre-match game plan backfired.

Ba, meanwhile, departed to a 74th-minute ovation when the warmly welcomed Hatem Ben Arfa replaced him. Making his first appearance at St James' after a year spent recovering from a badly broken leg, Ben Arfa sparked in the hole, his improvisation and invention suggesting a currently fourth-placed Newcastle may just enjoy an infinitely better campaign than widely forecast.