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Thousands of cricket fans will descend on Wellington today for New Zealand's first knockout game of the World Cup - and this time, Westpac Stadium and Tranz Metro say they'll be ready.

When the Black Caps played England in the capital in February, fans battled with overcrowded trains on the way in and long queues for food and drink at the venue, as the big match seemed to catch organisers on the hop.

Stadium boss Shane Harmon said there would be 40 extra tills selling beer around the concourse for the West Indies game today, 100 more staff, a "grab and go" pub marquee at the entrance plaza, as well as extra coffee carts and water outlets.

Tranz Metro said there would be extra seating on trains heading into Wellington, and additional services after the game on the Johnsonville, Kapiti and Hutt Valley lines.

Harmon said problems during the England match were the result of a "perfect storm" caused partly by the Black Caps' overwhelming superiority, and exacerbated by an unusually high number of hospitality staff calling in sick.

When Tim Southee and co ended England's innings prematurely, the bars were not prepared for the demand.

Spectators were stuck in long queues and missed the action as Brendon McCullum flayed the England bowlers.

"When the stadium's full we creak at the seams, so some level of queuing is unavoidable, but what happened at the Black Caps/England match we acknowledge was unacceptable," Harmon said.

An extra 100 people had been hired, and volunteers would help manage queues on the concourse.

Positively Wellington Tourism chief executive David Perks said the sellout game would showcase the capital to the Caribbean.

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Cricket organisers hire extra staff to combat queues