Newly-crowned world club champions St Helens are on course for the treble after knocking arch-rivals Wigan out of the Silk Cut Challenge Cup in an absorbing fourth-round tie at Knowsley Road.

The reigning Super League champions are odds-on favourites to lift the Cup at Twickenham on April 28 after making it five wins from their last six derby clashes.

Captain fantastic Chris Joynt led the way with a hat-trick of man-of-the-match performances, highlighted by the 100th try of his fabulous Saints career.

Wigan, sporting an unusual all-black strip, trailed only 12-8 after 62 minutes but Saints completed a fantastic victory with two tries in seven minutes to earn a repeat of their 1997 fourth-round success.

Saints went on to win the Cup at Wembley that year and few would bet against them bridging the four-year gap.

Joynt, match-winner in his club's sensational World Club Challenge success over Brisbane Broncos a fortnight ago and scorer of two tries in last October's Grand Final, struck two decisive blows that gave Saints a dream start.

He spun out of Gary Connolly's tackle to send winger Anthony Sullivan over for the game's first try on 12 minutes and only four minutes later demonstrated neat footwork in a run from dummy half to get past Terry Newton and jink his way over for his 100th try.

Sean Long converted both tries after missing with an early penalty to put Saints 12-0 ahead but they failed to capitalise on their whirlwind start, thanks largely to some sloppy handling.

Ian Millward's men demonstrated customary flair but too often forced the pass and frequently lost possession on the first tackle.

Coach Millward gambled on playing full-back Paul Wellens, who made light of a fractured eye socket to produce an outstanding display, but Saints lost loose forward Paul Sculthorpe with a suspected fractured jaw in the early stages.

With new Australian forward recruits David Fairleigh and Peter Shiels in superb form, however, St Helens always looked to have the aces.

Wigan's new half-back pair Matthew Johns and Adrian Lam did their best to spark their side and it was from Lam's high kick that Connolly pounced for Wigan's 20th-minute try.

Skipper Andy Farrell's goal made it 12-6 and Wigan had what would have been an equalising try disallowed when Saints forward Sonny Nickle got his boot to the ball to prevent Newton touching down Johns' grubber kick.

Farrell's 63rd-minute penalty, awarded for interference in the tackle by Joynt, cut the deficit to four points but that was the signal for Saints to cut loose and make the game safe.

Ever-dangerous centre Paul Newlove broke clear to send substitute Tim Jonkers over and Sean Hoppe's break set up winger Anthony Stewart for a glorious 75-metre try.

With the stakes so high, the exchanges were not surprisingly fierce and the casualty rate was high on both sides.

Wigan lost full-back Kris Radlinski with a dead leg while substitute Harvey Howard, who made an impressive debut, was put on report by referee Stuart Cummings for a high tackle on Shiels, who had received a cut head in the first half.